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REV, SAMUEL WATSON 



A MEMPHIAN'S 



Trip to Europe 



WITH COOK'S EDUCATIONAL PARTY 



TO WHICH IS ADDED 



LETTERS FROM REVS. T. W. HOOPER, 

A. B. WHIPPLE, AND C. W. GUSHING; ALSO, 

LETTERS FROM SEVERAL LADIES AND 

GENTLEMEN OF THE PARTY. 



r 

BY SAMUEL WATSON. 






Nashville, Tenn. : 
SOUTHERN METHODIST PUBLISHING HOUSE. 

PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR. 
1874. 



Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1874, by 

SAMUEL WATSON, 
in the oflBce of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



n 



^\ 



c^- 



en 



THE LIBRARY 
OF CONGRESS 

WASHINGTON 



Dedication. 



To Mr. THOMAS COOK, Sr., 

Of London, to whose liberality and kindness the 
Educational Party are much indebted for favors 
beyond their agreement, this Book is 

KespectfuUy Dedicated by 

The Author. 
(3) 



Preface. 



What ! Another book of travels ? Yes ; and 
different from every other one that has ever been 
published. 

On the 21st of June, 1873, there sailed from 'New 
York the steam-ships Victoria and Canada, with 
Cook's Educational Party, composed of about one 
hundred and seventy persons, from over twenty dif- 
ferent States. The Victoria was bound for Glas- 
gow, Scotland, the Canada for Liverpool, England. 
It fell to my lot to go on the Canada, leaving one 
hour after the Victoria. 

Having been solicited by the editor of the Memphis 
Avalanche to write sketches of our trip, I complied 
with his request, writing hastily, as I only could 
under the circumstances. Having been requested 
by many — in whose judgment I have confidence — 
to publish them in book-form, I concluded to get 
the letters of several other gentlemen, who wrote 
for other papers, and publish them all together. 
They are from prominent ministers of the Presby- 
terian, Baptist, and Methodist Churches — and some 
from ladies — all of our party, though belonging to 

(5) 



6 Preface. 

different sections, into which we divided at London. 
By this arrangement we saw more of the country, 
thus giving more variety and interest to them. The 
Presbyterians can see what the Rev. T. W. Hooper, 
of Lynchburg, Ya., has to say of Europe ; the 
Baptists can read what the Eev. A. B. Whipple, of 
!N"ew York, says; while the Methodists can read 
how Pev. C. W. Gushing, of Massachusetts, tells 
what he saw. The writer gives a running sketch 
of how he saw things. 

These gentlemen are presidents of institutions of 
learning, and capable, as will be seen, of presenting 
what came under their observation in an attractive, 
instructive, and entertaining style. 

Since my return, I have, from very extensive 
memoranda taken at Rome, and Augustus Hare's 
" Walks in Rome," written up some articles on the 
"Eternal City." These will come in at their proper 
place with the entire series, so that there will be 
all said by each of us about places and things before 
we leave them. It has been our intention to take 
the reader along with us, and let him see things as 
we saw them, without the labor and expense neces- 
sarily attending such a trip. 

Hoping that those who follow us through will be 
amply compensated for their time, and learn some- 
thing more of the country, places, things, and people 
which we visited, that will interest them, 

I am truly theirs, 

SAMUEL WATSOK 



Contents. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAGE 

A Memphian's trip from New York to Liverpool and 
London — An ocean voyage — England's great port — 
London and the Shah — A day among the London 
churches, and amid the tombs of the great dead— Off 
for the Continent — Taking a look at London . .11 



CHAPTER II. 

Letters from the Eev. T. W. Hooper. 1. From Lynchburg 
to New York. 2. Life on the ocean. 3. Moville — Griant's 
Causeway — Glasgow. 4. Edinburgh — Speech-making — 
Scott's home 39 



CHAPTEE III. 

Letters from the Eev. A. B. Whipple. 1. Adieu — Victoria 
— Time and keeping speed. 2. Emerald Isle — Cars — ■ 
Dunluce Castle — Origin of Giant's Causeway. 3. Clyde 
— Ship-building — Glasgow Cathedral — Monuments — 
Trosachs. 4. Edinburgh — Eoute to London — Hospi- 
tality — Adventures 56 

CHAPTEE IV. 

Letter from Miss Hattie Stanard — Eoute to New York — 
Ship-life — Sabbath services — How time is kept — Lon- 
donderry — Portrush — Dunluce Castle — Adam Clarke's 

monument 71 

(7) 



8 Contents. 

CHAPTEE Y. 

PAGE 

Letters from the Eev. C. W. Gushing — Scottish preaching, 
etc. — Contrast between a Sabbath in Edinburgh and in 
Cologne 78 

CHAPTEE VI. 

The American Educational Party in Edinburgh — Com- 
mencement of Cook's tours — Speeches by Dr. Donald- 
son, Rev. T. D. Witherspoon, Eev. Professor Cushing, 
Lord Provost,, and Mr. Cook ...... 83 

CHAPTEE VII. 

A trip from London to Antwerp — A look about the an- 
cient city — Sights and impressions in Belgium and Grer- 
many — Experience in Brussels and Cologne — Habits 
and occupation of the people — The great Cathedral and 
other objects of interest — From Cologne to Munich — 
The Rhine and its marvelous beauties — How railroads 
are run in Germany — The people and their habits — A 
day in Mayence — Guttenberg's statue — Munich and its 
attractions, etc. — From Munich to Vienna — Notes by 
the wayside — The Austrian capital and the Exposition 
— Sights and improvements — Condition of the people of 
Europe — Something for Americans to think about — 
Some of the features of the great Exposition — Sights 
and sight-seers 96 

CHAPTEE VIII. 

Letters from the Rev. T. W. Hooper. 1. Zurich — Luther — 
Calvin — Paintings — Statue of Bavaria. 2. Vienna Ex- 
position — Home things. 3. Tombs of royalty — Gather- 
ing rocks, and a hasty retreat. 4. Down the Rhine — 
Cologne Cathedral — St. Ursula — Brussels lace-factories. 125 

CHAPTEE IX. 

Letters'from the Rev. A. B. Whipple. 1. Antwerp — Brus- 
sels — Carved pulpit — Royal palace — Parks — Museum — 
Cologne Cathedral — Sunday. 2. University — Rhine 
scenery — Castles — Villages — Mayence — Munich — Pal- 
ace of the king — Statue of Bavaria. 3. Vienna cordial- 
ity — Exposition building ....... 143 



Contents. 
CHAPTEE X. 



FAOE 

Letter from the Rev. C. W. Gushing. Vienna — Churches 
— Exposition — Reflections upon them . . . .158 



CHAPTEE XI. 

Letter from Miss Hattie Stanard. Munich — Vienna — 
Mayence — Down the Rhine — Cologne — Brussels . . 163 

CHAPTEE XII. 

"Beautiful Venice" — An Avalanche correspondent in the 
City of the Sea — From Austria to Italy — Highly ro- 
mantic scenery — Sights and^ impressions in Venice — 
The art galleries and and the royal palace — Character- 
istics of the Italians — Among the gondoliers, etc. — 
From Venice to Florence — Observations by the way- 
side — The ruins and beauties of Italy — The Eternal 
City — What a Memphian saw in Rome — Scenes on the 
banks of the Tiber — The great Cathedral — Statuary, 
paintings, etc. — Capitol statues — Hall of Emperors — 
Hall of illustrious men — Historic prison — Palaces of 
Augustus, Palatine, Nero — Church of St. Clement — The 
Forums and the Coliseum — The Catacombs — St. Agnes 
— The Santa Scala — Roman Funeral — The Pantheon — 
St. Peter's — The Vatican — Sistine Chapel — Michael An- 
gelo — Leaving the city 171 

CHAPTEE XIII. 

Letters from the Rev. A. B. Whipple. 1. Description of 
Venice — St. Mark's Church. 2. Rome — History — First 
Basilica — Pantheon — Baths — Latin Rome. Letter from 
the Rev. C. W. Cushing. Professor Wood — Palaces of 
the Cesars — Great Circus — Baths — Coliseum — Palace of 
Nero— Church of St. Clement 222 



CHAPTEE XIY. 

Switzerland — From Rome to Geneva — Scenes by the way- 
side — The indescribable splendor of the Alps — On the 
shores of Lake Geneva — Picturesque Switzerland— The 
watches and music-boxes of Geneva — Rambles afoot — 
Beautiful Perne — The Swiss love of home — Life and 



10 Contents. 



PAGE 



habits of the Bernese — The wonderful clock of 1191 — 
The Lake of Geneva — Three thousand feet high — The 
illuminated falls at Interlachen — Seas of ice — The 
Bernese Alps — Up among the coolness of Switzerland 
in August — Top , of the Alps — A view of three hundred 
miles from Rigi — One of Nature's grandest displays — 
Romantic Switzerland- — Impressions of the most inter- 
esting country in Europe — An amusing dinner-table 
experience — The need of an interpreter — Sketch of 
Lucerne — William Tell — A mountain railroad — Fare- 
well, Switzerland — Letters from the Rev. T. W. Hooper 
— Letter from the Rev. A. B. Whipple .... 240 

CHAPTER XV. 

"Paris is France" — Views in the wicked, beautiful city — 
Strolls in historic localities, some of which have been 
baptized in the blood of saint and sinner — Lingering in 
Paris — Sight-seeing in the finest city in the world — Ver- 
sailles and its antique remains of royalty — The Tuileries 
— Pantheon — S^ Cloud — Grobelin — Farewell to France 
— Back in London — Dr. Cummings — Billingsgate — The 
Tower — The docks and the shipping — Letter from the 
Rev. T. W. Hooper — Letter from the Rev. A. B. Whip- 
ple 278 

CHAPTER XYI. 

Loitering in London — Prince Albert's memorial monu- 
ment — Description of its beauties, its grandeur, audits 
sculpture — Letters from the Rev. A. B. Whipple — Let- 
ters from the Rev. T. W. Hooper — Homeward bound 
— From London to Edinburgh — Interesting sights in 
the Scottish capital — Castle Rock — Burns' s grave — 
Mary Queen of Scots — Dr. Chalmers — Bunyan — The 
rolling deep — Leaving Glasgow, the prosperous city on 
the Clyde — The pleasures and misfortunes of a life of 
ten days on the ocean wave 303 



A MEMPHIAN'S TRIP TO EUROPE. 



CHAPTER I. 

LETTEE 1. 

Bev. Samuel Watson's trip from New York to Liverpool and 
London — An ocean voyage — England's great port — London 
and the Shah. 

Steamer Canada ] 

{Approachi7ig Queenstoivn, Ireland), > 
July 2, 1873. J 
ON THE BILLOWS. 

Editor Avalanche : — Having promised to write 
you " semi-occasionally" during my European tour, 
I drop you a few lines, to be mailed at Queenstown. 

We left 'New York on Saturday, 21st of June. 
The weather has been fine ; consequently the sea has 
been very quiet, except on last Saturday, when we 
had quite a gale nearly all day. It was the grandest, 
the most sublime, scene I ever witnessed. The ocean 
seemed to rise up like hills, while the noble ship 
rode them like a thing of life, now on the summit, 
then in the valley between, playing sad havoc with 
the movables on board. At dinner there wasagreat 
deal of commotion, not only among the dishes, but 
the people were tossed to and fro, to the amusement 
of all but those who were the sufferers. 

There is much less danger than is generally sup- 
posed in crossing the ocean. Facts and figures show 

(11) 



12 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

that there are fewer lives lost at sea, in proportion to 
the number of passengers, than by any other mode of 
traveling. Take, for instance, this line, the " ]N"a- 
tional." They have been running for ten years, have 
twelve ships, have carried over 300,000 passengers, 
and have never lost a ship or a man. The Cunard 
line has been in operation for about thirt}^ years, and 
has never lost a passenger. Where can such safety 
be found on any of our thoroughfares of travel ? A 
trip across the ocean, with a calm sea, is a very mo- 
notonous affair. We eat, and read, and sleep, to rise 
and eat and read again. 

By the way, I do n't fancy the English style of 
eating. They breakfast at 8J, lunch at 12J, dine at 
4, which takes one hour and a half, tea at 7. Their 
roast beef, the boast of the Englishman, has too 
much blood remaining in it for me. I will inclose 
a bill of fare, by which you can see the style of Eng- 
lish living on the ocean. I would greatly prefer a 
modification of quantity, quality, and a great reduc- 
tion in the time consumed in disposing of it. But 
so it is, in "Rome, we must do as Rome does." The 
most exciting time we have had has been when a large 
number of whales were seen. They spout a large 
stream of water up some distance in the air, then 
throw themselves nearly out of the water, and seem- 
ing to be as anxious to show themselves as we were 
to see them. We have seen the sea-lions, porpoises, 
etc., sporting amid the ocean's waves. It has been 
quite cold for several days, so much so that flannel 
and winter clothes would not keep us warm on deck. 

I am pleasantly located near "midship," close to 
the Captain's room. My room-mates are Mr. B. A. 
Rogers, of Yerona, Miss. ; Capt. John Deering, of 
Covington, Tenn. ; and Mr. A. S. Elliott, of Hunts- 
ville, Ala. Our ship is about 400 feet long, 40 wide, 
and 41 deep. She was 23 feet under water when we 
left 'New York, but she is somewhat lighter now, as 



On the Billows. 13 

we consume about forty tons of coal per day. She 
has the compound engine, or, more properly, two en- 
gines — one of the low, the other high pressure. 
This is a most important discovery for steam navi- 
gation. The coal now consumed by this recent dis- 
covery is only about one-third of what it was by 
using only one engine; hence the expense is greatly 
reduced, besides giving the tonnage for freight pre- 
viously required for coal. It is to be hoped that 
Americans will now build ocean steamers and save 
to our country some of the countless millions paid 
to other nations for this service. Philadelphia has 
commenced two lines of steam-ships to Liverpool, 
and has built her own vessels. The success of the 
experiment has been of the most satisfactory charac- 
ter. We have seen quite a number of ships, but 
not near enough to any of them to speak, only by 
the "signal rocket" sent up, which is a nautical 
language I have not yet learned. 

We have a nice lot of passengers, representing 
several nationalities and churches. There are six 
ministers, some of whom will go with us through 
Europe. We have had services both Sabbaths, the 
traveling ministers officiating. 

We are anxious to see land again. To be out on 
the "ocean's wave" for ten or twelve days, pent up 
in a small room, to sleep in a berth but little longer 
than your body, is not calculated to impress one very 
favorably with a sea-faring life. Our trip has been 
a very pleasant one thus far, and we hope to-morrow 
to arrive at Liverpool, the great " Cottonopolis" of 
the world. I will, from time to time, as I may have 
opportunity, dot down whatever I may think will 
interest your readers, as I pass on from place to place 
with the rapidity indicated by the inclosed pro- 
gramme. 

P. S. — We are now sailing along the Irish coast, 
the hills of "sweet Ireland" coming down to the 



14 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

water's edge, and saying to the surging waves, Thu^ 
far shalt thou come and no farther. There was 
much excitement this morning when the steersman 
announced land in sight. We all rejoiced, but es- 
pecially those who had been long absent from their 
native land. Their joy was manifested in various 
ways. We will soon be at Queenstown, where this 
will be mailed. We expect to arrive at Liverpool 
to-morrow, but remain till next day for the daylight 
to see over 200 miles of merry Old England to Lon- 
don, from whence you may hear from me again. 



ASHORE AT LAST. 

Liverpool, July 2, 1873. 

We arrived at this great sea-port yesterday, having 
oeen twelve days out from New York. Though I 
wrote you yesterday from Queenstown, I will drop 
you a few lines before leaving for London, which we 
will do early in the morning. 

It is said that the trade of the whole world con- 
centrates at this, the largest sea-port on the globe. 
We look to the cotton market here with much in- 
terest in the South. 

The docks are the most costly and extensive of 
any in the world. They are six miles in extent, 
and cost from eighty-five to one hundred millions 
of dollars. The Sanden docks are immense ba- 
sins, like those in the navy-yards of Brooklyn and 
Charleston, for the floating in of vessels for repairs, 
closing and pumping out till the hulls are left dry 
for the workmen. The others are commercial docks, 
rendered necessary from the immense height to which 
the tide rises — it being from 18 to 30 feet. These 
docks are constructed out of Scotch orranite and iron. 

o 

They are immense canal locks, with swinging gates, 
closed so as to retain the water and keep the vessel 
afloat while discharging. They are moved by ma- 



Ashore at Last. 15 

chinery. These gates are never allowed to be open 
except at near high tide. 

There are to be seen vessels from all nations lying 
in dock — each showing its nationality. 

The weather to-day has been very cold, with rain 
and wind, which prevented our seeing as much as I 
desired while we ascended the river Mersey. The 
rocky headland of Holyhead of "Wales, with its 
strange clift and bridged rock, its white light-house, 
and the wonderful breakwater defending the harbor. 
Then comes the Welsh lands, with thrifty farms, 
and neat farm-houses and windmills. Behind these 
the fair Welsh mountains rise, the Snowdon, said 
to be the highest in the south-west of Great Britain, 
but they looked small compared to the mountains 
we pass over coming to New York. Little Welsh 
villages, nestled at the feet of these highlands, pre- 
sent a beautiful view. Three magnificent steam-ships 
passed near us, crowded with passengers for America. 
But I am going back in my scrawl. I must let the 
ocean trip pass. Though it has been a pleasant one, 
yet I never wanted to close up one so much as I 
have this, my first ocean voyage. Long will I re- 
member the Canada and its worthy officers. But 
other things crowd upon my mind on terra firma. 
Liverpool has been in a state of excitement about 
the visit of the Shah of Persia. The papers are 
filled with accounts of his visit here. It is said he 
had six wives with him, but as he was visiting a na- 
tion which did not recognize but one, he only took 
one of them with him in public. 

What folly this man- worship is ! I am glad I feel 
no inclination in that direction. I expect to see 
much of it before my return, but I have no idea of 
imbibing any of it, either politically or ecclesiasti- 
cally. 

The buildings for some distance from the wharf 
are large and fine, and those over the city generally 



16 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

are three stories only, and look rather antiquated; 
but there are some magniiicent buildins^s here — the 
largest I ever saw. Most prominent is St. George's 
Hall, one of the most magnificent structures in the 
world. We went to see it; and here is the largest 
organ in the country. In frontof it stand the statues 
of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, each on a very 
large horse. On the former is this inscription : 
"Erected by the Corporation of Liverpool, in the 
thirty-fourth year of her reign." Over the latter: 
"This statue of a wise and good prince is erected 
by the Corporation of Liverpool, October, 1866. 
Albert, Prince Consort, born 1819; died 1861." At 
the north end, standing on a high column, is the 
statue of Wellington, and the battles he fought and 
won engraved on the base. Inside the hall are the 
marble statues of quite a number of England's great 
men. I felt the most interest in Sir Robert Peel 
and Mr. Gladstone. We have hurried over the city 
in several directions, and seen most of it, and hasten 
to take the train for London, of which you shall 
hear by and by. 



( LETTEE 2, 

Another interesting letter from Eev. Samuel Watson — A day 
among London churches and amid tombs of the great dead— 
Off for the Continent. 

London, July 7, 1873. 

We left Liverpool early on the 4th for this city. 
For many miles we passed through what is properly 
called the " manufacturing district." The tall chim- 
neys and immense buildings which could be seen all 
over the country, filled with machinery, told the 
secret of England's greatness. Those nearest Liver- 
pool, judging from the number of cotton bales and 



In the Great City. 17 

cotton macliinery we saw, were for manufacturing 
cotton goods. Then comes a broken agricultural 
district, after which silk, hosiery, and other manu- 
factories. I have never seen, nor will I ever see 
again, such a country as this. All the waj^ every 
spot of ground showed the evidences of what man 
had done for it. Cities, towns, villages, gardens, 
meadows, cut up in all sorts of shapes and sizes 
(except large ones), divided by their hawthorn 
hedges, and covered with herds of cattle, sheep, etc., 
defy description. I shall not attempt it. Paradise, 
no doubt, was more lovely, but this excels anything 
I have ever seen. Our conductor, Mr. Anderson, 
who met us at Liverpool, was born here, and pointed 
out many places of interest. None more so than 
Derby, where Bunyan was born and imprisoned for 
twelve years, and where the "Pilgrim's Progress" 
was written. 

England is proverbial for showers. It happened 
that as we were landing a heavy rain came on, very 
much to the discomfort of the passengers, who had 
to embark on another boat to reach the shore. I 
heard a remark made which I did not then appre- 
ciate as much as subsequently: that it was a pity 
that the first boat for that purpose had not been 
made with a roof. If it had been, all of them would 
have been made after that model. 

In the Great City. — About 3 o'clock we arrived at 
London, walked out of the cars (as we call them, but 
"carriages" here), in the rear entrance of the Midland 
Grand Hotel. It is the largest, and when completed, 
will be the most magnificent hotel I ever saw. Dinner 
over, we go to Cook's, Fleet street, to report our- 
selves. From here we go to call on the United 
States Minister to see if we can get into Parliament. 
He received us kindly, and after some time spent 
pleasantly, told us he would see by next day, as he 
was authorized to give but two permits a day, and 



18 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

that there were so many Americans now here that 
he feared there was no chance for us daring our 
brief stay in the city. St. James's Park was next 
visited. Something over a mile, at Buckingham 
Palace (the Queen's present residence), we see a 
vast crowd of people, and learn that the Shah, of 
whom I spoke in my last letter, is to attend the 
Opera, and will, with the royal family, in state, pass 
out. ^Notwithstanding my opinion expressed in my 
last letter, I resolved to see all of it that could be 
seen, even at some discomfort. We wait. The crowd 
thickens and spreads over the vast grounds; the 
police can hardly keep the way open for the carriages. 
After about two hours out they came. Fortunately, 
our position was on the margin of the open way. 
We saw all we could, but did not discover that kings 
and queens (prospective) are different from other 
people, only in their external trappings. I was sur- 
prised to find the thousands that were gathered there 
so anxious to see them. There is a magic charm in 
royalty to those who are governed by it. As this 
was my first, and may be my last chance, to be a 
"looker-on," I was glad to embrace it in this best 
phase of monarchy. Saturday we visit the financial 
portion of the city. Wall street seems but a small 
affair compared to this world's heart of money-power. 
The Bank of England covers eight acres, while other 
moneyed institutions cover over a large portion of 
this part of the city. 

On the Rounds. — The Westminster Abbey, the place 
where sleeps the remains of the sovereigns and great 
men of the nation for hundreds of years, is the most 
solemn, grand, and impressive place I ever entered. 
We paid our fee to go round with one of the guides, 
who gave a synopsis of many who rest there, em- 
bracing an epitome of England's history for hun- 
dreds of years. 

We got permission, and go through the Parliament 



Hearing and Seeing Spurgeon. 19 

buildings and look at the statues of many men whom 
the nation delight to honor. Of some of these I may 
speak at some future time ; also of the Abbey. We 
go to the office of the United States Legation — but 
one ticket to the House of Lords can be given, and 
I am the fortunate recipient. I go on Tuesday, at 5 
P.M., when they meet. 

After dinner we take a trip on the underground 
railroad. Notwithstanding the millions on the sur- 
face, traveling, they seem to be as crowded on the 
cars under the ground. At the crossing of some of 
the streets steps go down, and regular stations for 
passengers to get on and off. There are many of 
these running through and around the city; others 
traverse it in the air. On our return we take the 
top of a street-car, and go several miles to its termi- 
nus, and walk several more to London Cemetery, 
overlooking the city — said to be the highest point 
in the vicinity. The monuments are of a previous 
age, mostly. The prospective is grand for many 
miles around. 

This has been a busy day of intense interest, to 
which I shall look back with pleasure, and may at 
some time say something more about it. 

Hearing and Seeing Spurgeon. — Mr. Spurgeon 
is the great attraction here. Every one of our 
party, indeed all the Americans at the hotel, go 
to hear him. He is a truly great man. I took 
notes of his sermon, but this is not the place for 
them. The sermon was one of the plainest, most 
evangelical, and spiritual, I ever listened to. He had 
been absent about a month, as he said, in the only 
forest in England. He seems to be over forty; but 
one of his members told me he was only thirty-three, 
and that he was about five feet six or eight inches in 
height. He opened his service with prayer, then 
singing, he giving out a verse at a time; then read 
and commented on several passages of Scripture; 



20 A Mbmphian's Trip to Europe. 

then singing and prayer; singing and sermon. His 
church is of a circular form, with two galleries ex- 
tending all around, he standing on a circular plat- 
form about the height of the first gallery. It holds 
between 7,000 and 8,000 people, and was filled, as 
usual. 

Among the Tombs. — We then went toWesley Chapel 
and to City Road Methodist Church, where lie the re- 
mains of John Wesley and Dr. Adam Clarke, side by 
side. On the monument erected to the former is this 
inscription: "To the memory of the venerable John 
Wesley, A.M., late Fellow of Lincoln College, Ox- 
ford ; died March 2, 1791, aged 8« years." On the lat- 
ter; "Sacred to the memory of Adam Clarke, LL.D., 
A.S., who rested from his labors August 26, 1832." 
Then comes the tomb of Kichard Watson, with this: 
"Sacred to the memory of Rev. Richard Watson, 
who died in the Lord January 8, 1833, in the 52d 
year of his age — a man no more distinguished for 
admirable endowment of his mind than for the depth 
of his piety, the fervor of his zeal, and the constancy 
of his powerful genius to the service of God in His 
sanctuary, and the spiritual interests of mankind." 
Here sleep the remains of many distinguished 
Methodist preachers. Dr. Bunting was the last one 
buried here — June 16, 1858. I copy the inscription 
of Wesley's mother: 

"Here lies the body of Mrs. Susanna Wesley, 
widow of Rev. Samuel Wesley, M. A., late Rector 
of Epworth, in Lincolnshire, who died July 23, 1742, 
aged 72 years. She was the youngest daughter of the 
Rev. Samuel Annesley, D.D., ejected by the Act of 
Uniformity from the Rectory of St. Giles's Cripple- 
gate, August 24, 1662. She was the mother of nine- 
teen children, of whom the most eminent were the 
Revs. John and Charles Wesley, the former of whom 
was, under God, founder of the Society called Meth- 
odists. 



John "Wesley. 21 

" In sure and certain hope to rise, 
And claim her mansion in the skies ; 
A Christian here, her flesh laid down, 
The cross exchanging for a crown." 

There, on the opposite side of the street, are 
many whose names are as household words with us. 
Prominent among these is John Bunjan, whose " Pil- 
grim's Progress " has perhaps been more extensively 
read than any book except the Bible. In marble he 
lies on top of his tomb, on one side of which his 
sins press on his back, as a large weight. On the 
other side they are gone — very impressive. 

John Wesley. — It was here, in this chapel, that John 
Wesley preached, and near it he lived and died. It 
was, and is, the center of Methodism. There are now 
two parsonages here, in which the preachers live 
who are on this circuit; for this is still their plan. 
In one of these Benson wrote his "Commentary." 
They have a number of class-rooms in the basement, 
in which they were having meetings when we were 
there. They still adhere to the plan of small classes. 
The chapel is one of the largest, with a box pulpit 
hung up, I know not how far, though it has been 
lowered five feet. I felt that I was standing in a 
holy place, where Mr. "Wesley had so often preached, 
and where he commenced an organization now more 
numerous than any other Protestant Church. After 
spending a long time with the preachers and people 
there, learning all I could, we went to hear the same 
preacher who preached there in the '^ Goshetten." I 
judge it to be a hard vicinity, from what I saw. 
Street-singing and exhortation, perhaps preaching, 
is kept up here as in olden times. We stopped a 
while at several such places, day and night. But I 
must not dwell longer in this detail. 

London's Immensity. — London overwhelms me with 
its immensity: just think of ten miles, some say twelve 
by twelve miles, of houses filled up, and filled with hu- 



22 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

man beings, numbering between three and four mil- 
lion ! To see it all would require weeks instead of days. 
There are several important places we will visit in the 
next three days, after which we are to be off for the 
Continent. Then we shall feel our dependence on our 
conductor, as we shall be barbarians to each, as the 
Shah has been to all here. He has gone to Erance, 
and royalty is quiet again. The weather is still cool, 
alternating often between sunshine and shower, as 
usual here. They have very little night here; but 
they make it up by sleeping late. Our company are 
learning the same fashion of getting up at 9 and 10 
o'clock. I rise and write this hasty scrawl while 
some of them are quietly folded in the arms of Mor- 
pheus. I will sketch our pathway briefly as I may 
have time. 



LETTEE 3. 

Eev. Samuel Watson taking a look at London — ^Westminster 
Abbey — St. Paul's — Tower of London. 

London, July 8, 1873. 

Zoological Gardens. — On Monday evening we 
went to the Zoological Gardens, as they are called, 
though they contain over two hundred acres. Here 
are collected the plants, flowers, shrubs, animals, 
etc., of the world. Though they are exceedingly 
interesting, they do not come up to the Central 
Park, of S"ew York. 

Westminster Abbey. — '^o one who visits London 
would ever think of leaving there without one or more 
visits to Westminster Abbey. "Who has not read of 
that little island of thorns around which, in the days 
of the Druids, the Thames threw an arm, on which 
the E-oman colonists erected a temple to Apollo? The 
Christian faith, advancing from the East, began to 



Westminster Abbey. 23 

fulfill the prophet's declaration that the wilderness 
and the solitary place shall blossom as the rose. 
Sebert, King of the East Saxons, cleared away the 
thorns, and erected in the midst of the temple a 
rude church, Tvhich he dedicated to St. Peter, and 
received his remains. A neat monument still marks 
the place of his remains. Three hundred years af- 
terward King Edgar established a priory, consisting 
of twelve monks of the Benedict order. One hun- 
dred and fifty years later Edward the Confessor ele- 
vated the priory to an abbey, within whose enlarged 
borders he found an honorable tomb. It was not, 
however, till 1220 that the present church w^as com- 
menced by Henry III., to whom is ascribed the 
chapels of the virgin and of the confession, the- 
transepts, and the choir. The building was carried 
on by twelve successive abbots and kings, but is not 
yet finished, and perhaps never will be. It is like 
many we see over Europe, that mock the pride of 
man, whose foundations crumble before the capstone 
of the last tower can be put on. It was called West- 
minster — that is, the minster or monastery church 
west of London. It consists — first, of Henry YII.'s 
chapel, the exterior of which has been restored at an 
expense of two hundred thousand dollars; second, 
Edward the Confessor's chapel and shrine, with the 
chapels of St. Nicholas, St. Benedict, St. Edmund, 
St. John the Baptist, St. Paul, St. Erasmus; third, 
the transepts; fourth, the choir; fifth, the nave; 
sixth. Blaze chapel; seventh, Jerusalam Chamber; 
eighth, chapter -house; ninth, pise; tenth, little 
cloisters; eleventh, dark cloisters; twelfth, area 
cloisters; thirteenth, Dean's Yard. Exteriorly, the 
church measures 532 feet by 220. I have always 
had a great desire to see the Westminster Abbey; 
hence it was one of the first places I visited. I was 
there several times. There is no other such place 
in the world. There is an epitome of England's 



24 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

history in the monuments and epitaphs of the men 
and women she has delighted to honor. Passing 
through the general entrance on the east side of the 
south transept, I found myself in the " poet's corner." 
The eye is at once riveted on the distinguished dead 
— Chaucer, Spenser, Dryden, Milton, Shakspeare, 
Addison, etc. In the center transept of the largest 
gothic structure of Great Britain you may attend 
worship. Around and beneath you are the monu- 
ments of the mighty dead, while every thing you 
cast your eye upon is associated with the history of 
the past. Here Druids once offered bloody sacri- 
fices. Here a long line of priests lived and died. 
Here kings and queens of Great Britain, from Ed- 
ward the Confessor to the present popular queen, 
Victoria, were crowned. The old chair is there still; 
but those who have occupied it on those important 
occasions live there only in the history of the past. 
Here, from the days of Henry III. to those of George 
II., they were entombed. To this altar princes 
brought their incense, and crusaders consecrated 
their victorious swords. The gorgeous buildings, 
the solemn associations, were calculated to inspire 
feelings of grandeur, solemnity, and reverence. For 
a small fee a guide directs you through the seven 
chapels. The center of these is Edward the Con- 
fessor's, the floor of which is several feet above the 
general level of the Abbey. Around it are the 
tombs of royal personages. Some of these tombs, 
though considerably damaged, are very rich. In 
this chapel are two large chairs. One of them is 
the coronation chair, brought from Scotland by Ed- 
ward I., underneath which is suspended the large, 
rough stone on which the kings of Scotland had 
previously been crowned, and which, in the super- 
stition of England, is associated with the sovereignty 
of this realm ; the other, the chair which was pro- 
vided for Mary, wife of William III., when she was 



St. Paul's Cathedral. 25 

crowned j ointly with her husband. From this chapel 
you pass into the ambulatory and the chapels open- 
ing into it, all of which are surrounded b}' tombs and 
monuments, ancient and modern; the oldest, that of 
William de Yalence, is dated 1226. From here we 
ascend a small flight of stairs into Henry YII.'s 
chapel of the Virgin Mary. This is the gem of the 
whole structure. The roof is most beautifully 
wrought into circles, which are carved in elegant 
fan-tracery, each circle having a pendent boss in 
the center. The pillars and arches by which it is 
supported are adorned with ornamental carving, 
and the walls decorated with statues of patriarchs, 
apostles, and martyrs. In this chapel are several 
royal tombs, the most sumptuous of which is that 
of Henry YII. and his queen, Elizabeth. Those in 
which I felt most interest were Queen Elizabeth, and 
Queen Mary, and Mary Queen of Scots, in much 
, closer proximity, and with much more apparent 
friendship than they manifested toward each other 
in their lives. Thus I felt, and so expressed myself 
to the guide. As we pass among these tombs one 
can but reflect on the desolations of time and the 
weakness of humanity. Vanity of vanities is earthly 
glory; yet those monuments to the dead may in- 
spire the British youths with virtuous heroism. Pitt 
stands speaking with commanding grace; Kewton 
sits in lofty contemplation of the laws of nature, 
which he discovered by the falling of an apple. 

aS'^. FauVs.—We then visited St. Paul's Cathedral. 
This is said to be the most prominent object in the 
city. We went up to the dome, and took a fine view 
of the city. The whispering gallery, at the bottom of 
the inner dome, renders audible the slightest whis- 
per from side to side. The great bell here is only 
tolled when a member of the royal family dies. 
This is the largest church in the world, except St. 
Peter's, at Pome; cost between seven and eight mil- 
2 



26 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

lions, and was finished in 1710. But notwithstand- 
ing the superior size of St. Peter's, this is a grander 
and more magnificent building. I like its style of 
architecture much better. From whatever point it 
is viewed it presents a more imposing appearance. 
St. Peter's is divided up into chapels; St. Paul's 
has an immense audience-room, capable of seating 
several thousand people. Like Mount Zion, it is 
beautiful for situation — elevated, central, the joy 
of all London. The ground on which it stands 
has been the site of a cathedral ever since the sixth 
century, and has been a place of sepulture ever since 
the Roman conquest. In digging the foundations 
of the present structure, in 1674, the workmen 
pierced, at different distances, the graves of four 
different peoples. Old St. Paul's was 690 feet by 
130, with a nave 102 feet, and a choir 88 feet high. 
The great fire of 1666 swept over it. In 1765 Sir 
Christopher Wren laid the first stone of the present 
cathedral, and in 1710 laid the last of the lantern of 
the cupola. The building is in the form of a cross, 
having naves and transepts. Its entire length is 500 
feet, 285 feet in breadth of nave, and transept 107; 
average height of the wall 90 feet; two towers, 220 
feet; that of the summit of the cross, 404 feet. 
Over the northern portico are carved the royal arms, 
supported by angels; eight Corinthian columns of 
blue-veined marble support the organ and gallery, 
beautiful in themselves, rendered more so by the 
carved work. Near the gallery is a plain slab, bear- 
ing the name of Christopher Wren. The organ 
contains thirty-three stops and two thousand one 
hundred and twenty -two pipes. Its eftects are 
grand. I attended church there one Sabbath while 
in London, and the church, the congregation, the 
service, pulpit, and preacher, were all on the grandest 
scale I ,ever witnessed. The stalls of the choir are 
enriched with the most elegant carving. The altar- 



The Tower of London. 27 

piece is adorned with four fluted pilasters, painted, 
and veined with gold. Witliin the choir and aisles 
the floor is Avhite; in the body and west end it con- 
sists of bodies of black and white marble, alter- 
nately; within the altar-rails, of porphyry, polished 
and placed in geometrical forms. The pulpit is ele- 
gantly carved, and occupies a central position. I 
went up to the whispering gallery; the entire ascent 
to the ball is six hundred and sixteen steps. From 
this place you have the finest view of London and 
for miles around of any place I visited. Away in 
the distance is seen the Crystal Palace, the, various 
parks and palaces of which I have written — grand, 
beautiful, and sublime. The bell is ten inches thick, 
and weighs 11,474 pounds; the clapper weighs 180 
pounds, and is moved only on the death of a mem- 
ber of the royal family, the Archbishop of Canter- 
bury, the Bishop of London, or mayor of the city. 
The clock strikes the hour, and is heard twenty 
miles; the hammer weighs 145 pounds. 

The Tower of London. — This is one of the 
most interesting places to visit in this great city. 
Much of the history of the nation is connected 
wath the events which have transpired here. 
It is a group of structures, a cluster of houses, 
towers, barracks, armories, w^arehouses, and prison- 
like ■ edifices near the River Thames, separated 
from the crowded streets of the city by an open 
space called Tower Hill. It was founded b}^ Wil- 
liam the Conqueror, on the site of an old fortress, 
to secure his authority over the people of London ; 
but it has been greatly extended by the subsequent 
monarchs. It was surrounded in the twelfth century 
by a large ditch or canal, to prevent the escape of 
prisoners. This was drained in 1842. Within the 
center wall the ground measures upward of twelve 
acres. Next to the river was a water entrance called 
the " Traitor's Gate." The interior of the Tower is 



28 A Memphian's Teip to Europe. 

an irregular assemblage of short streets and court- 
yards. The " White Tower " is the oldest, and the 
chapel a fine specimen of a small l!Torman church. 
The "Lion Tower" is near the principal entrance. 
The "Bloody Tower" nearly opposite the " Traitor's 
Gate." These old towers are very curious. The 
principal objects of interest are a collection of can- 
non, trophies of war. The "Horse Armory" is a 
long gallery, built in 1826, has an extensive collection 
of cannon, consisting of almost every thing in that 
line for ages past, venerable for the antiquity. There 
are about twenty suits of armor complete, placed on 
stuffed men and stuffed horses. Four of the suits be- 
longed to Henry YHI. Queen Elizabeth's armory is 
in the "White Tower," the walls of which are thirteen 
feet thick, and still contain inscriptions of state pris- 
oners in troubled times. The instruments of torture 
looked horrible. The beheading ax and block where 
royal blood has been spilt makes one shudder to be- 
hold. The lions in the Tower were among the sights 
of the place for six hundred years, but they have been 
given to the Zoological Society. The English people 
hold the lion as the king of beasts, and the emblem of 
their own superiority ; so Switzerland regards Bruin 
as their emblem. The jewel house is a w^ell-guarded 
room to the east of the armories, contains the valu- 
able collection of state jewels. Among them St. 
Edward's crown, used at all the coronations from 
Charles H. to William IV. The new state crown, 
made for the coronation of Queen Victoria, and 
valued at more than ^ve hundred thousand dollars ; 
the Prince of Wales and the queen consort's crowns, 
and many others, are here to be seen. The famous 
"mountain of light," the wonderful diamond, the 
property of Queen Victoria, is kept here. It was an 
object of great interest at the two exhibitions. You. 
are guided through these places by wardens who 
wear a curious costume of Henry VIII. 's time. 



The Tower of London. 29 

Here are the works of the great masters of the world 
who nobly represent the Roman, Bolognese, Vene- 
tian, Padnan, Flemish, Dutch, French, and English 
schools of painting, which seem to give visibility to 
things not seen. Francias's Dead Christ, with his head 
reposing on his mother's lap, while angels hover over 
his face and feet, is very impressive, and seems to 

Pissolve the heart in tenderness 
And melt the eyes to tears. 

At the south-Avest angle we come to the bell-tower, 
which suspends the garrison alarm-bell, and is cele- 
brated as the mission-house of the brave old Bishop 
of Rochester, who persisted in denying the legality 
of Henry YIH.'s divorce, even to death. Here, in 
this apparently small matter, we see how much often 
depends upon a single event. If Henry's divorce 
had been acknowledged by the bishop, England 
might have continued a Catholic country. God 
only knows. The walls of the Beauchamp Tower 
are fifteen feet thick, where he was imprisoned in 
the reign of Richard IH. As we proceed, we pass 
the church of St. Peter. On the right we see an- 
other tower suggestive of painful recollections. 
Here we are reminded of the rashness and ruin of 
Elizabeth's great favorite, the meanness and perfidy 
of her bosom friend; the struggle between revenge 
and love in the breast of the man over her doomed 
friend, and the history of that reign; the death-bed 
confession of Lady Harard ; the violence of her sov- 
ereign, who shook the dying countess in her bed, 
screaming, "May God forgive you, I never can;" 
and the gloom that thenceforward settled down upon 
that sovereign's great but guilty soul. How vivid 
these things come into one's mind when viewing 
the places where these things occurred ! Facing the 
east, and passing on the right of the barracks, and 
on the left of the "little hell," or "Flint Tower," 



80 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

and on to the brick tower, where the beautiful, the 
beloved, the good, and the accomplished Lady Jane 
Grey found her last earthly home, and from which 
she passed to her heavenly mansion. Among my 
boyhood memories cluster the history of this deeply 
interesting woman, and I still love to read any thing 
of her and her sad end. Through that window she 
could see the palace in which she had been hailed as 
queen, amid the rejoicings of the metropolis. 
Through the same dungeon-window she bade fare- 
well to her young and innocent loving husband as he 
passed to execution, and soon after saw his headless 
body, wrapped in a linen cloth dripping with blood, 
conveyed to the chapel. Through that door she 
herself passed to the block, saying: "Lord Jesus, 
receive my spirit." Such has been royal life. This 
place, so remarkable in English history, being near 
a half mile in circumference, is a subject of long 
and interesting study and reflection upon "man's 
inhumanity to man." Time swallows the ordinary 
labors of man, but these towers, prisons, and monu- 
ments, which for near a thousand years have stood 
miarkiug the generations of men as they pass by on 
the stage of action, bear a few landmarks of 
their history as a great abstract of the past and index 
to the future. These have witnessed generation 
after generation marching on as one vast funeral 
procession to the tomb of Norman, Saxon, Briton, 
Scot; white rose and red, royalist and rebel, cavalier 
and roundhead, protestant and papist, marching to 
mortal combat. JN'ew consecrations and fetes, pro- 
cessions and tournaments; then the doomed pris- 
oner, muffled in his cloak, following the ax, with a 
few weeping friends, clad in black, and here we 
stand and behold the ax-block and the instruments 
of death around. How sad and sickening! But 
these days are past, never, I presume, to return. 
Pagan, Jew, Christian, Papist and Protestant, Pu- 



London Parks, Palaces, Etc. 31 

ritan and Churchman, have worshiped in these courts, 
and all can now worship God in this glorious land 
and be protected by its laws. These mouths of 
death are forever closed. These bloody towers look 
peacefully upon, perhaps, the "best government in 
the world." These dungeons are empty. 'These 
instruments of torture are objects of curiosity, as 
relics of the darker ages. These subterranean pas- 
sages are closed, and England presents the brightest 
history of the world. 

London Parks, Palaces, etc. — Whether we con- 
sider this great city as the metropolis of a great 
and mighty empire, upon the dominion of whose 
sovereign the sun never sets, or the home of 
between three and four millions of people, and 
the richest city in the world, it is an intensely 
interesting place to visit. The Eomans, after 
conquering the ancient British inhabitants, about 
A. I). 61, rebuilt and walled it in about 301. Ro- 
man remains, and some fragments of the old wall, 
are still found when making excavations. London, 
in the Anglo-ITorman times, though originally con- 
fined by the walls, grew up a dense mass of brick 
and wooden houses. The city stands from tw^elve to 
sixteen feet higher than it did in the early part of 
its history. From a city hemmed within a wall 
London expanded in all directions, and thus gradu- 
ally formed a connection with various clusters of 
dwellings in the neighborhood. It has, in fact, ab- 
sorbed towns and villages for a considerable distance 
around. This is the main reason why it is so difii- 
cult to comprehend. It is an assemblage of towns, 
the intervening spaces having been built up. Some 
of the streets are very long and straight, being, I 
suppose, originally the roads between the towns. 
City Road, fpresume, was one of these connecting 
links, bat now one of the finest streets in the city. 
The growth of London, to its present enormous size, 



32 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

may readily be accounted for, from the fact that for 
ages it has been the capital of England, and the seat 
of her court and legislature; and that since the 
union with Scotland and Ireland it has become a 
center for those two countries. It is the residence 
of the nobility, landed gentry, and other families of 
wealth. It has a fine natural position, lying, as it 
does, upon the banks of what they consider a great 
river (but only about the size of White River), some 
sixty miles from the sea. The great central thor- 
oughfare of Cheapside is one of the oldest and 
most famous streets in the city, intimately associated 
with the municipal glories of London for centuries 
past. Many of the business houses here are mag- 
nificent. Some small plots of ground here have 
been sold as high as five millions of dollars per acre. 
On each side of Cheapside narrow streets diverge 
into the dense mass behind. The greater part of 
these back streets, with the lanes adjoining, are oc- 
cupied by the ofiices or warehouses of wholesale 
dealers in cloth, silk, hosiery, lace, etc., and are re- 
sorted to by London and country shop-keepers for 
supplies. The Strand, so called because it lies along 
the bank of the river, now hidden by houses, is 
a long and somewhat irregular built street. In the 
seventeenth century the Strand was a country road 
connecting the city with Westchester, and on its 
southern side a number of noblemen's residences, 
with gardens toward the river. The eastern half 
of the Strand is thickly surrounded by theaters and 
places of amusement. The residences of the nobil- 
ity and gentry are chiefly in the western part of the 
metropolis. In this quarter there have been large 
additions of handsome streets, squares, and terraces, 
within the past few years. Much has been done 
recently toward adorning the metropolis with health- 
giving parks and grounds, freely open to the public. 
St. James's Park w^as the first one I visited. It was 



London, Parks, Etc. 83 

near our minister's residence, whom I called to see 
about getting a ticket to parliament soon after our 
arrival. This is a grand, picturesque, lovely place, 
though once a marshy waste, which was drained 
and otherwise improved by Henry YIII. Charles 
II. improved the gardens by planting avenues of 
lime-trees on the north and south sides of the park, 
and by forming the mall, which was a hollowed, 
smooth graveled space half a mile long, skirted with 
a wooden border, for playing ball. It is nearly a 
mile and a half in circumference, and covers ninety 
acres, and the avenues form delightful shady prom- 
enades. In the center is a fine lake of water, inter- 
spersed with islands, and dotted with swans and 
water-fowl. A bridge was built across this water 
in 1857. On each side are spacious lawns encircled 
with lofty trees and flowering shrubs. There are 
nine or ten entrances to the park, the queen's guard 
doing duty each day and night. At the east side is 
a large graveled space, called the parade, on which, 
about ten o'clock every morning, the body-guards 
required for the day are mustered, and here the regi- 
mental bands perform. At the western end is Buck- 
ingham Palace, around and about which we visited, 
with thousands of others, some hours, to see the 
Shah of Persia with the royal family accompanying 
him to the opera. This park, all things considered, 
is regarded as one of the greatest ornaments of the 
city. Green Park contains only about sixty acres, 
rising with a gentle slope to the north of Bucking- 
ham Palace, and is bounded on the east side by 
many mansions of the nobility. The largest eques- 
trian statue in England, that of the Duke of Wel- 
lington, stands on a triumphal arch of the reign of 
George IV. Hyde Park has three hundred and 
ninety acres, part of which is considerably elevated. 
The whole is intersected with noble roads, paths, 
and luxuriant trees, planted singly or in groups, 



34 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

presenting a very diversifieGl prospect of beauty and 
grandeur. ]^ear the south-east corner, on an elevated 
pedestal, stands a colossal bronze statue of Achilles, 
oast from the cannon taken at the battles of Sal- 
amanca and Waterloo, weighing thirty tons, and, 
as the inscription informs us, erected to the Duke 
of Wellington and his companions in arms by their 
countrymen, at a cost of fifty thousand dollars. The 
great Exhibition of 1851, the first of its kind, was 
held in Crystal Palace, near the south-west corner of 
this park. The exhibition building of 1862 was 
beyond the limits of the park. The Albert Memo- 
rial is at the Remington end of Hyde Park, of which 
I have written. Passing through this park one may 
almost suppose they are far away from human habi- 
tation. You can hear the roar of the great city in 
the distance, but see no habitation. Large flocks 
of sheep are grazing; policemen are seen scattered 
along the roads, but you feel like you were in the 
woods, made paradisical by man's art and taste. 
We visited no place where such preparations had 
been made as in this vast city and its surroundings 
for country recreations. All that nature, art, and 
genius can do seems to have been done to make 
these parks attractive to the millions toiling in the 
city for their maintenance. 'Near Prince's Gate of 
Hyde Park is the London International Exhibition 
of 1873. This we visited, and was much interested. 
Among the many objects of interest are shown se- 
lected specimens, as follows: Pictures, oil and water 
color; sculpture, decorative furniture, plate designs, 
Mosaics, etc.; stained glass, architecture and models, 
engravings, lithography, photography as a fine art, 
porcelain, earthenware, terra cotta, and stoneware; 
machinery used for pottery of all kinds, willow 
manufactories, machinery in motion, used in wool- 
en and worsted manufactories; live alpacas, scientific 
inventions and discoveries, horticulture, etc. Vic- 



London, Parks, Palaces, Etc. 35 

toria Park has about two hundred and seventy acres. 
Having been formed only a few years, the trees have 
not yet grown to the full size, but it is becoming a 
pleasant place, with flower-beds, lakes, walks, and 
shady avenues. This park is distinguished by the 
most magnificent public fountain yet constructed in 
the metropolis. Battersea Park has about one hun- 
dred and eighty acres, on which fifteen thousand 
dollars have been spent. Until recently it was a 
miserable swamp — now it is a fine park. A beauti- 
ful suspension-bridge connects this park with Chel- 
sea, on the other side of the river. There are a 
number of other parks, but I did not visit them, 
and have said enough to let the reader know that 
this great city has also immense lungs, and breathes 
freely from them. Besides these there are the Zoo- 
logical Gardens, containing about two hundred acres, 
at the northern extremity of Regent's Park. Here 
they have the vegetable and the animal kingdom 
well represented. Captain Deering and myself ac- 
cepted an invitation from a London friend to go 
with him to see them. I will here say, by way of 
parenthesis, that English people, women as well as 
men, are the greatest walkers I ever saw. Ask any 
one how far to such a place, and they will tell you 
so many minutes ; then multiply by two or three, 
and you wdll get the time it will take you to get 
there. I was walked around in these gardens, so- 
called, until I was tired down. The collection of 
animals is unquestionably the finest in England. 
The sea-lions and the sea-bears were rare specimens 
of the inhabitants of the briny deep blue sea. The 
polar-bear, or ice-bear, measures eight feet seven 
inches, and weighs sixteen hundred pounds. 

Palaces. — The palaces of London are places of great 
interest. Buckingham Palace stands at the w^est end 
of St. James's Park. It does not present a very mag- 
nificent appearance. The ground on w^hich it stands 



36 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

is too low. I was not favorably impressed with the 
buildings for the sovereign of this great nation's 
residence. The park and royal gardens were grand, 
but the palace fell far below my expectations as to 
its appearance. Marlborough House, the residence 
of the Prince and Princess of Wales, is immedi- 
ately east of St. James's Palace, separated only by a 
carriage road. It was built by Christopher Wren, 
for the great Dake of Marlborough. The house 
was bought from him for the Princess Charlotte. It 
was afterward occupied in succession by Leopold 
(the late King of the Belgians). St. James's Palace 
is an elegant brick structure, built by Henry YIIL, 
in 1530, on the site of what was once the hospital 
for lepers. The fine bands of the foot-guards play 
daily at eleven in the color-court, or in another 
quadrangle on the east side. Lambeth Palace is 
said to be about four hundred years old. 

Houses of Parliament. — This is the name usually 
given to the new Palace of Westminster. It is 
close to the river. It is said to be the finest 
modern Gothic structure in the world, at least 
for civil purposes. The entire building covers 
about eight acres. The chief public entrance is 
by Westminster Hall, which forms a vestibule 
to the houses of parliament and their numerous 
committee -rooms. The rooms and staircases 
are inconceivably numerous, and there are said 
to be two miles of passages and corridors. The 
river-front, raised upon a fine terrace of Aberdeen 
granite, is nine hundred feet in length, and pro- 
fusely adorned with statues, heraldic shields, and 
tracers covered with stone. It is a gorgeous struc- 
ture, which has cost over ten millions of dollars. A 
farther cost of near a million for frescoes and stat- 
uary had been incurred up to March, 1860. The 
two chambers in which parliament meets are ill- 
adapted for a great nation's legislature to meet. 



Houses op Pajrliament. 37 

The house of peers is ninety-seven feet long, forty- 
five wide, and forty-five high. It is profusely painted 
and gilt, and the w^indows are so darkened by deep- 
tinted stained-glass that the eye can with difficulty 
make out the details. At the southern end is the 
gorgeous gilt and canopied throne. I^ear the center 
is the wool-sack on which the lord chancellor sits; 
at the end and sides are the galleries for the peer- 
esses, reporters, and strangers. The poorest accom- 
modations I ever sslw. Even in our state-house they 
are far superior. There are some twelve or fifteen 
comfortable seats for reporters, and room, perhaps, 
for some thirty or forty more persons to sit on — 
hard seats, patched up at the far end. The s^ats re- 
mind one of an old-field school-house — long benches 
with not a desk or any convenience for writing, 
which they do not need, as they write their speeches, 
I presume, before they come there. This house of 
lords fell greatly below my expectations in several 
respects. I heard, perhaps, some fifteen or twenty 
of them speak, and, with one or two exceptions, 
they fell, I think, below our members of our legis- 
latures as speakers. In the house of commons it is 
very diflerent. There the members are chosen by 
the people, and the best talent of the nation is chosen 
to represent them. Their room is sixty- two feet 
long, by forty -five wide, and forty-five high, and is 
much less elaborate than the house of peers. The 
speaker's chair is in the north end, with galleries 
along the sides and ends. In a gallery behind the 
speaker's chair the reporters for the newspapers sit. 
Over them is the ladies' gallery, where the view is 
obstructed by the grating. One might suppose from 
the name that these two chambers — the house of 
peers and commons — constitute nearly the whole 
of the building, but they occupy only a small part 
of the area. There are many large, fine libraries, 
committee-rooms, halls, lobbies, offices, corridors, 



38 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

princes' chamber, peers' corridor, commoners' lobby, 
and corridente. The Victoria, at the south-west 
angle of the entire structure, is one of the finest 
in the world. It is seventy-five feet square, and 
three hundred and forty feet high. The "Clock 
Tower," in the north end, is forty feet square, three 
hundred and twent}^ feet high, profusely gilt mantel 
top. The clock is by far the largest and finest in 
this country. There are four dials on the face of 
the tower, each twenty-two and a half feet in diam- 
eter; the hour figures are two feet high, twenty-six 
feet apart; minute marks fourteen inches apart; 
the hands weigh two hundred and forty pounds, the 
minute-hand sixteen feet long. There are about five 
hundred carved stone statues in the building. The 
Eoyal Gallery is being filled, illustrative of English 
history. There, among others specially noted, is a 
picture forty-five feet long by twelve high, repre- 
senting " The meeting of Wellington and Blucher " 
after the battle of Waterloo, and the companion 
frescoe, "The Death of ^N'elson." Yesterday morn- 
ing we went out to the Crystal Palace. This sur- 
passed my highest expectations. In many respects 
it is the most remarkable structure in the world. It 
was built for the great Exhibition in 1851. It is 
sixteen hundred feet long, three hundred and eighty 
wide. There are two arcades, forty-five feet long 
by one hundred. I cannot say any thing now, only 
that, if one has but two days in London, one of 
them should be spent at the Crystal Palace by all 
means. The Italian section of the Educational 
party arrived last night, and join ours. We now 
number fifty, mostly teachers. We leave at 4:25 for 
Antwerp. You shall hear from me again w-hen I 
can find time to drop a few lines as we pass rapidly 
on to Vienna and Eome. 



Lbitees prom Rev. F. W. Hooper. 39 



CHAPTER II. 

Letters from the Eev. F. W. Hooper, of Lynchburg, Virginia, 

written for the Neivs. 

AsTOR House, New Yore, June 20, 1873. 

Dear "ITews:" — According to promise, I now 
commence a series of letters to you, in which, I trust 
by the providence of God, to take your readers to 
many points in foreign lands. 

We started from the "Hill City" on yesterday, 
amid the hearty Godspeed of many a loving friend, 
whose kindly faces will beam around us in all our 
journejangs. After an hour or so the blues and the 
headache both wore away, and by the time we 
reached Charlottesville we were ready to give a 
hearty greeting to several new companions. One of 
these was a brilliant young lady, who at once put 
herself under my care with the joyous self-congratu- 
lation that " unmarried ladies could use other people's 
husbands on such voyages." I replied to this in a 
jovial allusion to an old bachelor who was present, 
suggesting that a bridal party would lend a romantic 
interest to our excursion. But both of these birds 
were too old to be caught with such chaff, and the 
younger gentlemen of the party looked as if they 
might be singing internally, "The girl I left behind 
me." 

Of course we had a merry discussion about sea- 
sickness, and some of them commenced eating 
lemons before we reached Alexandria. Various 



40 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

remedies were discussed — among them a blue-mass 
pill to rectify the liver, whereupon a solemn divine 
suggested " Simmons's liver exterminator.'' As it was 
evident that his brain was confusing bile and bed- 
bugs, his suggestion was treated with scorn. Well, 
we came on to Washington, where we had time to loaf 
around the Capitol and admire its splendid archi- 
tecture. But I was amused at the quaint criticism 
of one of the party, on the Goddess of Liberty. 
He said "she looked like she was holding up her 
skirts," which at once reminded him of "Cousin 
Sally Dillard." During the night we had nothing 
of special interest, except that we must have met 
about fifty trains, and it seemed to me that every 
engineer sounded his steam -whistle right at my 
window. Arriving here this morning, we deter- 
mined to start out with this hotel, which is now 
kept on the European plan. We found the excur- 
sion party rapidly filling up, and I have never seen 
a better business man than Mr. Jenkins, of the firm 
of Cook, Son & Jenkins, under whose auspices we 
are to travel. He seemed to know every member of 
the party as soon as his name was mentioned, and 
evidently intends to satisfy all, if such a thing is 
possible where there are one hundred and fifty per- 
sons concerned and one-half of them of the gentler 
sex. 

I went aboard the Victoria this evening, and 
met a cordial greeting from Captain Munroe, to 
whom I had a letter of introduction from Captain 
Cumminger, of your city. But I was amused at 
his exhibition of nautical perversity, when he told 
me he remembered Captain Cumminger's ship, but 
did not remember him. It reminded me of General 
Buck Terry's ostler, who, at the surrender, told me 
he knew General Lee was near Spout Spring, "Be- 
case," said he, "I seen his stock." Captain Munroe 
says that so many parsons are sure to cause bad 



Letters from Rev. F. W. Hooper. 41 

weather, and I may just as well make up my mind 
to be sea-sick — which I have n't. 

Your readers may form some idea of the size of the 
Victoria, if they will imagine her extending across 
Church street, from the Washington House to Dudley 
Hall, and in such a predicament my state-room would 
be about where the Baptist Church is, but high enough 
above the water-line, I trust, to prevent any danger 
of immersion. It is said to be the largest, newest, 
and best of the "Anchor Line;" and Captain Mun- 
roe is not only a most competent commander, but is 
also said to be a devoted Christian. 

I think, from what I have seen of our party, that 
we will have a most delightful voyage ; but about 
that I can write more fully hereafter. 

This evening I went out to Central Park, and 
though wearied and sleepy, I enjoyed the lively 
scene presented by the Gothamites driving their fast 
horses, and showing off the tinsel of a shoddy aris- 
tocracy. I want to see some genuine aristocracy, 
out of a laudable curiosity — not to compare it with 
the mere sham which I have witnessed this evening. 

Well, you are not the only one to whom I must 
write before retiring to rest, and I will therefore 
close, with the best wishes for all of you who are 
toiling w^hile I am resting, and with the humble 
hope that I shall be spared to inflict many a note of 
correspondence before I return, about the first of 
September, to my family and charge. God help 
us all ! 



Steamer Victoria, June 23, 1873. 

John Phoenix wrote that on leaving San Diego, 
on a certain occasion, he felt mortified at having no 
friend to bid him farewell ; so, walking to the side of 
the boat, he took off his hat and sung out, "Good- 
bye, Colonel! " when twelve or fourteen gentlemen 



42 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

at once replied in the most graceful manner imag- 
inable. On leaving I*Tew York Saturda}^ we were 
in a similar predicament ; but, taking oiF our hats 
and waving our handkerchiefs, about ^ve hundred 
persons on shore waved us a most hearty farewell, 
supposing that we were acquaintances and friends. 

And now we are out on the ocean, and, much to 
my surprise, it has been all the time calmer than 
Chesapeake Baj^ The ship is a screw propeller, 
and moves as smoothly as a Pullman car on steel 
rails. There is scarcely a jar, and the engines are 
as regular as a pulse-beat in their great throbbing, 
which gives us motion as a thing of life. Our ex- 
cursion party is composed of one hundred and forty- 
eight persons, embracing thirteen ministers of va- 
rious denominations, and any number of college 
professors and school-marms. But while there is 
such a promiscuous assemblage, all seem inclined to 
minister to each other's comfort, and to add as much 
as possible to the pleasure of the excursion. 

Sir. Cook sent over a conductor to meet us and 
escort us across the great waters. His name is A. 
H. Plagge, a German ; and if all his conductors are 
as competent and attentive, I am sure we shall have 
a most delightful time. 

I had supposed that life on ship-board was mo- 
notonous and wearisome ; but, so far from that being 
so, it is really a treat to me to shut myself up in the 
smoking-room to write these few lines. It is inter- 
esting to look out upon the waves of the restless 
ocean, and while it is the same old ocean, there is a 
constant change in the movement of its waters. At 
times its surface seems as smooth and placid as a 
mirror, and then, as the breeze starts up, there will 
be a gentle ripple, and by and by the spray will be- 
gin to plash and gleam in all its snowy whiteness; 
and at night, too, we love to stand at the stern and 
watch the seething caldron which rises from the 



Letters from Eev. F. W. Hooper. 43 

screw, while phosphorescent sparks fly off as if from 
a nautical sky-rocket. Then, too, we watch other 
ships that are floating near us, and feel, at fifteen 
miles off, a nearness and companionship which lands- 
men cannot appreciate. 

Yesterday, being our first Sunday on board, was 
devoted almost entirely to religious exercises. We 
had preaching on deck at 10:30 a.m., by the Rev. Dr. 
Witherspoon, of the Presbyterian Church ; service 
at 4:30 p.m., by the Rev. Mr. Cosh, of the Episcopal 
Church; and at 7:30 p.m., in the saloon, by the Rev. 
Mr. Pierce, of the Methodist Church. 

I find that my appetite is steadily improving, and 
at night I sleep as soundly as I ever did in all my 
life. Last night we had quite a stiff breeze after I 
had retired, and some of our party had a little touch 
of sea-sickness ; but, with that exception, we have 
all been perfectly well. 

Two of our young men got caught in a trap by 
the sailors, in the bow of the boat. It seems that 
they draw a chalk-line, and when any one passes 
over it he has to pay a fine. These young gents 
were, of course, anxious to see every thing, and asked 
if they would be permitted to go to the bow. They 
were politely invited to do so; but on their return 
they were headed off by the jolly tars, who informed 
them that while they might pass to the bow, they 
could not return except on condition of paying the 
usual tax of a bottle of whisky. This they did as 
gracefully as possible, and tried to keep it a secret; 
but such things will leak out on ship-board. 

While I write, a gentleman is looking over a list 
of our excursion, and discovers that twent3^-one 
States are represented, and j-et, so far, all has been 
pleasant — politically, socially, and religiously. I 
think at least half of us are correspondents for some 
newspaper; so Messrs. Cook & Son will have to 
keep the best terms with all, or take the worst jour- 



44 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

nalistic pop-gun stinging that a naughty boy ever 
received. In regard to the ship, I will only say it 
is splendid, beyond all my previous conceptions. 
The officers are very polite and gentlemanly, and 
the tables are loaded at every meal with the greatest 
profusion. We have also the privilege of a bath- 
room, where at any hour we can take a hot or cold 
bath of fresh sea- water, and every thing around us 
seems to be pro bono publico. 

Wednesday, 26th. — I wa^ote the above on Monday, 
and have been so busy ever since doing nothing, 
that I have not had time or inclination to continue 
it. We have now^ been four days out, and are more 
than twelve hundred miles from New York, making 
over three hundred miles a day. We have passed 
the Banks of I^ewFoundland, and are now ''out on 
the ocean sailing." The small darkey who "rocks 
this cradle of the deep," finished his nap night be- 
fore last, and since that time he has been rocking 
us most vigorously fore and aft, as well as from star- 
board to larboard. Some of us rather enjoy it, but 
two or three of our party have settled their fare with 
Old Neptune most generously. I have not been 
sick at all, but am more and more confirmed in lazi- 
ness. We have been dressed in our thickest winter 
clothing, with our coats and blankets, and still we 
cannot keep warm. I have seen two whales, and 
grampuses innumerable. The grampuses went jump- 
ing along over the waves, reminding me of old hares 
in the broom-sedge fields of the "free State." I 
only saw the tails of the whales, and these seemed 
to be about eighteen inches across. We also passed 
this morning through a fishing squadron, and passed 
near enough to one of the boats to see the cod-fish — 
the aristocracy w-e have on our own vessel. We 
have continued the usual amusements of rope-quoits, 
herse-billiards, leap-frog, chess, draughts, etc. At 
night we have family worship in the saloon, con- 



Letters from Rev. F. W. Hooper. 45 

ducted by the various ministers in succession. Then 
we have music, recitations, readings, etc. We had 
a fine entertainment Monday night — being a tale of 
"Tildy's first visit to the show," rendered by a 
Scotchman, with the broadest kind of an accent. 

The fare is admirable, consisting of all sorts of 
meats and vegetables, and then pastry, fruits, nuts. 
There are so many passengers that we have to provide 
two tables at every meal, and to save trouble they 
only give us three meals a day — breakfast at eight 
bells, alias 8 a.m.; dinner at four bells, alias 2 p.m.; 
and supper at six bells, alias 7 p.m. There is a fine 
piano in the saloon, and quite a number of excellent 
performers. Just above this there is a fine library of 
choice literature ; but the most of the party are too 
much occupied with watching ships and talking to 
read. There are some rich specimens of the school- 
marm on board, and to see one of these keel over 
with sea-sickness, and hear the nasal twang mixing 
with incidental "guttural sounds, is a richer show 
than a circus to a Lynchburg school-boy. But more 
anon. 

Saturday, 2Sth. — This morning I was aroused at 
3:30 o'clock by the water pouring into my berth from 
the deck, and looking out by broad daylight, I 
found what I would call a heavy sea rolling, and now 
and then a wave would break over the deck, from 
stem to stern. Composing myself as well as I could, 
I went to sleep again, and slept until breakfast-time. 
We have had fine fun on deck this morning, as it is 
very slippery, and the ship is rocking fearfully. I 
found one lady of giant proportions sliding across the 
deck, and she never brought up until she hung to the 
ropes at the side. Stepping forward as gallantly as I 
could, I ofiPered my arm, when, starting back, I found 
we had too much material aboard, and before I had 
time to consider clerical dignity, we were walking to 
the other side, and came to anchor against a boat, my 



46 A Memphian's Trip to Eueope. 

head furnishing the point of contact. I then steered 
her for the gang-way, which, with the assistance of 
a Scotchman, we reached in safety ; and phniging 
her in, I hung on to the door while she glided all 
the way across — taking in her furious course several 
old gentlemen and ladies who were quietly watch- 
ing the storm. This is to be my last attempt at 
voluntary gallantry. Yesterday, and part of last 
night, we had all the sails up and a full head of 
steam, and have been making fifteen knots an hour 
— add one-seventh if you wish to reduce it to miles. 

Mr. Plagge has divided our company into sec- 
tions, and while some of our party will go to Italy, 
the most of us are in the fourth section, and will 
spend the additional ten days in England and Ire- 
land. Several of the party have been so sick, that 
'' Carry me back to Old Yirginny " would have 
awakened a flood of tears, but so far I have not 
missed a meal, a smoke, or a chew. I will now 
leave this until I get in sight of land. 

Monday^ June ZOth. — Yesterday was pleasant, and 
we had a spread-eagle sermon on deck by liev. Mr. 
Barrows, Congregationalist, at 10 a.m. At 4 p.m. Mr. 
Cook read "the sermon," and a Baptist preacher 
preached on "the ark," a suggestive sermon. At 
night we had a capital sermon from Rev. Prof. 
Cushing (a Methodist), on "You are laborers to- 
gether with God" — most too much "free agency " 
for me, but a capital sermon. We expect to land 
this evening or to-night, so if you ever receive this, 
you may take it for granted we are safe. 



Edinburgh, July 5, 1873, 

I did not expect to let so many days glide by 
without w^riting you a line, but we have been on 
the wing ever since we landed, and even now I 
must writehastilv. 



Letters from Eev. F. W. Hooper. 47 

At Moville we embarked on a steam-tug under 
the escort of Mr. John Cook, and on landing were 
met by, Mr. Thos. Cook and a grandson, so that, as 
w^e have been several times informed, there are 
three generations of Cooks escorting ns. Passing 
up Loch Foyle, which soon lessened to River Fojle, 
we passed by the old Culmore Castle and church, 
which were standing in 1688, at the siege of Derry. 
There too, we were told, the cable was stretched to 
prevent the Protestants from receiving supplies. It 
was in this siege that two thousand persons perished 
from famine, after" eating all kinds of food to keep 
off starvation. 

Luckily, leaping into the cars, we were whirled 
along at a rapid rate to Portrush. The scenery is 
w^ild and beautiful. Bold headlands pushing out 
into the sea and then sloping off into fertile fields, 
intersected everywhere with hedges, and dotted 
with farm-houses. The houses of the farmers are 
larger and handsomer than we had supposed, while 
the thatched cottages of the peasants, with their 
piles of peat, are scarcely equal to the negro cabins 
which our slaves once occupied. Flitting through 
a long tunnel on the lands of Sir Harvey Bruce, we 
soon brought up at Portrush, a small town on the 
coast, and were escorted to the town-hall, where 
a cold lunch awaited us. Standing around the table 
were fine-looking "old Irish gentlemen," dressed in 
swallow-tail coats, white ties, and black pants, and 
some of our party thought that the maj'or and al- 
dermen of the towm had turned out to serve us at the 
table. But it turned out that these were the ordi- 
nary waiters, who would put I^ed Pryor to the blush 
in politeness, and are more handsomely dressed 
than any clergyman in Lynchbtirg. Passing out of 
the hall as a gazing stock for the whole populace, 
we had our first experience in an Irish "jaunting- 
car." They are two-wheeled vehicles, with seats 



48 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

over the wheels sideways, and will accommodate 
four persons besides the driver. Jumping on to 
one at the head of the column, we trotted out ten 
miles to the Giant's Causeway, passing the Castle 
of Dunbece, now in ruins. This w^as the seat of 
the old feuds between the O'Donnells and the Mc- 
Quillians, in other days, and was demolished, along 
with thousands of other places, by Oliver Crom- 
well. We also passed through "Bush Mills," fa- 
mous for its "Irish poteen," or whisky, and then 
through the lands of Sir E. McFadden, whose name 
our driver called out to me half a dozen times 
without my understanding him. At last we reached 
the hotel, and dismounting, had a rush down the 
cliff for the boats. Reaching the first one, we 
jumped in, and three stalwart oarsmen pulled us 
out to the mouth of the cave, washed by the break- 
ers, while our guide kept up an incessant gibberish, 
retailing old jokes to our infinite disgust, and pre- 
venting such sentimentalism as the grandeur of the 
scene is calculated to inspire. 

This causeway must be seen on the spot to be ap- 
preciated, and when you sit in a skiff* half a mile 
out on the heaving tide, or stand upon its solid 
rocks, you must be impressed with its magnificence, 
as well as wonder at its geological formation. Mil- 
lions of stones in triangles, pentagons, hexagons, 
and cut in the most accurate mathematical precision, 
form a solid mass that even the ocean itself in ages 
has not disturbed. The rock is black, and of a ba- 
saltic character, and as to who put it there, and why 
it was put there, and when, I leave to those geolo- 
gists who know all about fossils and creation. If 
these rocks have grown any since the creation, they 
have preserved their proportions most marvelously, 
and as far as we can see they are of no more prac- 
tical value than which I hold were created as fossils 
when God said, "Let there be light." But I have 



Letters from Eev. F. W. Hooper. 49 

too much to write about to moralize. Returning to 
Portrush, we were met by an amateur band of boys 
playing fifes and drums, who escorted us in style to 
the "Antrim Arms," playing *' Dixie," and "The 
Bonny Blue Flag," to the evident disgust of the 
"Maroons." 

At twelve o'clock that night we reached the Vic- 
toria, and soon after steamed up for Greenock, on the 
Clyde. Passing the "Isle of Bute," and various 
places of interest, we anchored, and as quietly as 
possible waited until 4 p. m. for the coming in of 
the tide. When this time arrived two tug-boats 
were attached to the steamer, one at each end, to 
help guide her up the narrow stream, which is noth- 
ing but a ship canal at Glasgow, and slowly and 
cautiously we glided up the stream, past old Dum- 
barton, and thousands of iron ships in process of 
construction. The scenery on both sides is beauti- 
ful. The trees, as well as the houses, are larger 
than those we saw in Ireland, and cattle were graz- 
ing in herds along the shore that would have made 
Major Cloyd break the commandment. Well, after 
running aground several times, we at last landed at 
our wharf and scattered like a flock of sheep all 
over the city. Climbing to the top of an omnibus, 
we paid our fare, and rode through several splendid 
str-eets to George's Square, where there is a fine 
monument to Sir Walter Scott, and several splendid 
statues, among them Queen Victoria and Prince 
Albert on horseback. 

The next day Mr. Cook brought around omni- 
buses enough to accommodate the whole party, 
and although it was raining we started out, and vis- 
ited first the Cathedral. This is a splendid structure, 
as any guide-book will inform your readers, and 
abounds in hundreds of the most niagnificent stained 
windows, and is still used as a place for public wor- 
ship by the Established Presbyterian Church. It 
3 



50 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

has no organs, and they still sing Rome's version of 
the Psalms. Overlooking this is a beautiful ceme- 
tery, where are buried some of the noblest scholars 
that have made Scotland famous in literature. There 
too is a beautiful monument to John Knox, sur- 
mounted by a splendid statue of this bold reformer. 
I gathered some daisies at its base, and we then 
passed on to the Botanical Gardens, West End 
Park, etc., and that night we slept our last sleep 
(for the present) on the steamer. Yesterday we 
started at 7:20 a. m., and stopped for our breakfast 
at Stirling. It was hard to eat amid such surround- 
ings, but appetite will get the better of romance, 
and I am sorry to say that, sitting amid all these 
memories of Wallace, Bruce, and the beautiful 
Mary, we ate as heartily as if we had been at home 
in America. Then lighting our pipes, we strolled 
along the streets that had rumbled with the chariots 
of kings and queens, until we climbed the heights 
of old Stirling, from which we had a magnificent 
view of the surrounding country. On one side was 
the battle-field of Bannockburn, on the other Stir- 
ling Bridge, over which on a beetling crag was a 
fine monument to Wm. Wallace, while stretching 
out beyond were the "blinks" of Stirling, formed 
by the windings of the river. Gazing for some 
time from the very spot Mary Queen of Scots had 
so often and so sadly stood and gazed and sighed, 
was well calculated to bring out all the poetry that 
a man has, and I could have sat there for hours 
musing upon the past. But when I went up to the 
room where Duncan was stabbed, and saw the very 
window out of which he was thrown, and the very 
pulpit in which John Knox preached to the queen, 
and the communion-table on which he celebrated 
the Lord's Supper not as a mass, but as a memorial 
of our Lord, memory, fancy, imagination, reason, 
were all clashing in their several spheres, and I 



Letters from Rev. F. W, Hooper. 51 

came away with a confused, but hallowed, memory 
of that eventful morning. 

Starting again, we went on to the Collender, 
where we took the spring-wagons called ^'wagon- 
ettes," and drove rapidly through the Trossocks, 
a. rough gorge in the mountains, to Loch Katrine, 
immortalized by Scott's "Lady of the Lake." Dart- 
ing through this in a little steamer called the Rob 
Roy, with a Scotch Highlander screeching through 
a bagpipe, we rode &ve miles farther in the "van," 
and at "Inversnaid," under care of Rob Roy, and 
on his land, we took the steamer on *'Loch Lomond," 
and steaming around the base of "Ben Lomond," 
we landed near the Castle of Balloch, where we 
took the train again, and at about 9 o'clock we 
reached this beautiful city. 



London, July 11, 1873. 

I left your kind readers at Edinburgh, where we 
had just arrived and were pleasantly quartered at 
the Cockburn hotel. The next day our party went 
down to a public garden and had ourselves photo- 
graphed. We then branched out, and some of us 
went first to Holy rood Palace, where are clustered 
many of the sweetest as well as most painful mem- 
ories of Scottish history. We went into the audience- 
chamber of the faithless but beautiful Queen of 
Scots; saw the bed on which she slept, the chairs, 
and furniture, so queer and antique, that well graced 
those gilded halls. But we ajso saw the fatal private 
supper-room where Rizzio was stabbed, and the 
bed-chamber through which he was dragged. We 
also saw the old chapel where she pretended to 
worship God, and memory was busy as we stood 
among these enchanting scenes. But leaving this 
spot we rode on and saw the old Tolbooth, the orig- 
inal pillory, the cross of Edinburgh, the spot where 



52 A Memphian's Tkip to Europe. 

so many were executed, the grave of John Knox 
and his former home, the " Heart of Midlothian," 
and the old Grayfriars Church, where the solemn 
"League and Covenant" was signed by our Presby- 
terian Fathers. You can, perhaps, imagine, but I 
cannot describe, the feelings that gushed forth at 
all these strange scenes of the hoary past. And 
then when I stood in the old castle where Mary 
spent so many years, and looked out of the very 
window of which she looked so longingly until her 
son was born, I seemed to be drifting back out of 
the present into the centuries that are gone. But 
we must leave this guide-book strain and come back 
to our own eventful history. This was Saturday, 
and soon after leaving the castle, whom should I 
meet but Mr. Stuart Robinson, whose greeting was: 
" Why, Hooper, where did you spring from ?" This 
speedily explained, and we cracked many a joke 
together before he left us at Melrose Abbey on 
Monday. He was coming out of an old bookstore, 
and had been reveling in various discoveries he 
had made, with which to sting the Northern breth- 
ren when he comes back from Palestine, whither he 
is bound. I had made up my mind to hear him 
preach the next day, but the Lord had some of that 
kind of work for me to do at the same hour. That 
night w^e had a "grand conversazione," which 
means, being interpreted, a dinner of speeches and 
a dessert of music. The Lord Provost presided and 
made a lame attempt at a welcome, and Dr. With- 
erspoon made one of the grandest speeches of the 
kind that I ever heard. Dr. Davidson also gave us 
a good task, and Professor Cushing replied. "VYe 
then went into the museum building, and were 
entertained by a magnificent band from the Castle, 
whose revelry was interspersed by singing by a 
lady, and what they called music on bagpipes. 
That night Rev. Dr. Arndt invited me to preach 



Letters from Eev. F. W. Hooper. 53 

for him, and as I could not well decline, I did so to 
the best of my ability. He is- one of the most dis- 
tinguished men in Scotland, and is pastor of the 
"Free High Church" of Edinburgh, where he 
wears a gown. They have no organ, and use 
Rome's version of the Psalms. The congregation 
was large, and in the morning I was delighted with 
his plain, simple, beautiful expository style. The 
second service is held at 2:15 p. m., when I preached, 
and the old gentleman afterward kindly presented 
me with one of the numerous volumes which he 
himself has written. I never felt smaller than when 
standing in his pulpit, and preaching to his im- 
mense audience, who came, no doubt, through curi- 
osity to hear an American preacher. 

The next morning, all too soon, we started out 
for Melrose. There at the little inn some of us 
took breakfast, while others went on at once to Ab- 
botsford, the home of Sir "Walter Scott. After 
breakfast we started down to Melrose Abbey, whitjh 
is said to be the best preserved ruin in Scotland, 
and which Scott has immortalized by his writings. 
It must have been a grand affair in the olden time, 
but the sparrow^s now build upon its walls, and there 
is no sound but the bleating of sheep in the ancient 
churchyard to disturb the slumbers of its sleeping 
dead. There we saw the spot where is said to 
be buried the heart of Robert Bruce, and here also 
the grave of the Black Douglas, and I felt strongly 
as I gathered daisies from above them, and thought 
how appropriately when we bury the dead, "Earth 
to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust." But leaving 
the old Abbey, we rode on a "van" with the driver 
to Abbotsford, one of the grandest old places in 
Scotland. The whole house is literally crowded 
with remnants of Scottish history. There is a chap- 
ter from some old castle, there the door out of the 
old Tolbooth, and here a statue or a stone ornament 



54 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

which this wizard of romauce gathered from all 
quarters of the kingdom, and then when we went 
inside, here we saw his chain and desk, his pipes 
and canes, his clothes and guns, until we felt as if 
he would himself come out to do honors to erect an 
occasion. But I must hurry on. Leaving Melrose, 
we passed a long day, and reached Derhy, a small 
town of sixty thousand inhabitants, where we had 
another grand reception, so-called. The dinner was 
good, but most of the speeches were bores, and es- 
pecially that of a Yankee " chasm," who had been 
a missionary to the colored people in the foreign 
State of Texas. She piously asked for the prayers 
of the English, and so did Uncle Mike Connell ask 
me to remember him when we prayed in a cathe- 
dral. I hope all of us will remember these two 
subjects, for they both need them. That night, as 
you may imagine, I slept without rocking, at a most 
delightful hotel, called the St. James, and the next 
day we spent at Alton Towers, owned by the Earl 
of Shrewsbury. He and the bounties were neces- 
sarily absent (and I do n't blame them), but we had 
a singing of the Episcopal service in the chapel, and 
then walked through the palace and grounds, vis- 
ited the flowery shore, lunched on the green with 
his son. Lord Somebody, and a very fine-looking 
boy he is, about the size of Lewis Mosby, and the 
exact image of his sister. 

That evening we came on to London, and the 
first man I met was Mr. A. McDonald, and we have 
been together almost all the time since, have visited 
the Museum, the Tower, the Crystal Palace, Hyde 
Park, Buckingham Palace, Bank of England, St. 
Paul's, and Westminster Abbey. We have also 
dined, as well as lunched, with Mr. J. C. Muller, to 
whom I had an introduction from Capt. C. W. Stat- 
ham. He and his kind lady showed us every atten- 
tion, and evinced a hearty hospitality, which I am 



Letters from Rev. F. W, Hooper. 55 

sure will wipe out all scores that are against him 
among his and our friends in Lynchburg. He is 
engaged in the tobacco business, and being familiar 
with this great metropolis, it seems to have been 
his delight to go with us from one place to another 
that he thought would interest us. If he is as good 
at business as he is at entertaining strangers, he is 
certainly deserving of success. 

But I must close now by adding two more places 
of interest to which we have gone with intense sat- 
isfaction. One is the old Crosby House, once the 
propertj^ of Richard IIL, mentioned by Shakspeare, 
and the other Madame Tussaud's wax-work exhi- 
bition, which is so natural and life-like that I 
almost shuddered as I looked at some of the famil- 
iar personages that have figured in history. 



56 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 



CHAPTER III. 

Letters from the Eev. A. B. Whipple, President of Lansing- 
burgh College, New York. 

On the Steamer Victoria, Saturday, June 28, 1873. 

A WEEK to-day we saw an acre — more or less — of 
kerchiefs waving us a kind adieu as, without parade or 
cannonade, we quietly glided away from pier No. 20 
down the harbor, leaving Few York and its thousand 
spires to sink behind the receding waters. A good 
dinner at 2 o'clock lessened the pangs of hunger 
and the pangs of parting, and prepared us to part 
with our pilot off Sandy Hook Light, some twenty- 
two miles from the city. The day was very fair, and 
so were the following days, till Friday afternoon. A 
storm came on, which is still continuing to keep 
most of the passengers below, penning, as I am, to 
"friends in America." 

Every moment, thus far, has been one of pleasure, 
and now, twenty-five hundred miles on my way, I, 
with most of the others, can say the God of the 
Sea has dealt kindly with us, and not turned our 
stomachs into heaving notions. To describe an 
ever-changing sea — its grand sunset and sunrise 
scenery — its changing, real and reflected, colors, in 
all their marine varieties — the myriad sea-fowl that 
swim or skim its surface — the schools of whale, por- 
poise, and grampus, that seem to be having a short 
recess, and sporting near us for our observation — 
the beautiful sail-spread nautili as they, catching the 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 57 

sunset glow, sail by us toward the sunset — the pass- 
ing ships that greet us kindly with national flag — 
the ocean steamers that ere this have reported us — 
the northern lights that make our northern sky aglow 
with dancing twilight — or the little ripples that sim- 
ply ruffle the surface — or the mighty waves that just 
now dash against the cabin-light, and break in, 
striking on the deck above my head — to describe 
all this, I say, to appreciating friends, can be far 
better done in the drawing-room, with the voyager 
in your very midst. 

Some of the dryer details connected with the ship 
Victoria may not, however, be devoid of interest 
as mere matters of nautical history. I came as a 
student to learn what I could, without asking ques- 
tions, and after that to seek information under the 
not always pleasant privilege of questioning. Un- 
like most of the party, I came without a supply of 
guide-books, choosing to use my own eyes, and so 
not copy what I do not see; in other words, I want 
my own impression. Let me, then, confine the rest 
of this letter to the Victoria — 370 feet in length, 43 
in breadth, and 32 from deck to keel, drawing just 
ROW 22J feet of water, with an engine of 2,200 horse- 
power, the propeller 18| feet in diameter. She is 
steered by steam-power, her sails hoisted and lowered 
by steam, as well as cargo taken in and out by steam 
— 3,600 tons, a ton being forty cubic feet of space; 
has on board three thousand tons of cargo, exclusive 
of seven hundred tons of coal, using about sixty 
tons per day; cargo mostly provisions; officers and 
crew, one hundred and thirty ; souls on board, about 
four hundred; built last year at Glasgow, costing 
$500,000 — being one of thirty-six belonging to the 
same company, perhaps the largest ship-owning com- 
pany in the world; insure themselves. So far, we 
go about three hundred miles per day. Their ways 
of determining the rate of motion are three — one by 
3* 



58 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

solar observation, made at noon, by means of a sex- 
tant; a second way, by a patent log, so-called, towed 
astern, consisting of a long tube of brass, with four 
flanges set at right angles with the tube; when 
drawn through the water it revolves like a turbine 
w^ater-wheel; within is a clock-work, with discs like 
a gasometer, and indices to tell how many revolu- 
tions have been made in twenty-four hours — a known 
number indicating a mile, or knot, which is about 
one-seventh more than a mile. The third wa}^ is by 
the old-fashioned log, used every tw^o hours. It is a 
cord wound on a reel, with knots every forty-three 
and one-half feet; at the end is a cone-shaped can- 
vas sac, which, when thrown overboard, fills with 
water and holds back, drawing the cord from the 
reel. A sailor stands with a sand-glass of twenty- 
eight seconds duration; from the moment of drop- 
ping the log till the sand-glass is empt^^ the line pays 
out; then it is stopped and hauled in, and the num- 
ber of knots counted is the number of knots per 
hour. Yesterday, most of the time, we made fifteen. 
This must suffice for the mathematics of the ship. 
Kind readers, please fancy me writing this, leaning 
against my berth, feet well braced, swaying to and 
fro through at least forty-five degrees of a circle 
north and south, and half as many east and west, and 
you will excuse me from more. 



Greenock, on the Clyde, July 2, 1873. 

Since last the pen was laid aside I have traversed 
the northern coast of Ireland, and am now waiting a 
favorable tide to Glasgow to-night. Let me tell you 
of yesterday's doings, and you shall judge whether 
a day of sight-seeing may not also be a day of hard 
work. At about 3:15 o'clock the sun rose, and yet 
before it most of us were up to catch the first glimpse 
of land, and that land the far-famed Emerald Isle, 



Letters from Kev. A. B. Whipple. 59 

A few rocky islands first appeared, then a " sterile and 
rock-bound coast;" soon a few green patches, with 
here and there low houses. At 8 o'clock we en- 
tered Loch Foyle, famous where we entered for a 
huge chain stretched across its entrance during the 
historic siege of Londonderry by King James, in 
1689. Lovers of history will remember the story. 
The Earl of Mount Alexander received an anony- 
mous letter that on a certain day the Protestants of 
Ireland were to be murdered by the Catholics. He 
gave the alarm, and some dozen apprentice-boys 
seized the keys from the guard, just as Lord An- 
trim's troops reached the ferry-gate, and drew it up. 
Thus besran a sies^e lastino^ one hundred and five 
days, compelling the eating of dogs and rats. The 
chain or boom spoken of above was to prolong the 
siege. One of the supply-frigates, however, com- 
manded by Admiral Kirk, dashed with great force, 
and broke the barrier, but in the rebound was thrown 
on the beach. The enemy, rejoicing, prepared to 
board her, when, firing a broadside at them, she 
righted herself and sailed up the Foyle to London- 
derry, where nearly two thousand had died of starva- 
tion. Taking: a small steamer — the Heron — we 
reach this same Londonderry at 12 o'clock. It is a 
city of twenty thousand inhabitants- The bridge 
connecting Uxtuside, on the opposite side of the 
river, is a fine structure, and made worthy of note 
by the fact that it was built by an American in 1789. 
We took cars to Portrush, forty miles away, and 
thence by Irish jaunting-cars to the Giant's Cause- 
way, a distance of eight miles. A brief description 
of these cars is needed, being unlike an}- thing we 
have at home. I call them side-saddle carry-alls. 
They are two-wheeled, with side-seats toeing out- 
ward. We sit two on a side, back to back, outside 
the wheels, which are small, and the driver imme- 
diately behind the horse. When not in use the side- 



60 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

seats can be folded up upon top — the whole on easy- 
springs. "With some forty of these, each with four 
besides the driver in it, formed an American proces- 
sion seldom seen on such aline of march. The roads 
are all excellent, and kept so by pounded stones. 
The whole country presents attractions particularly 
pleasing. Turf fences, with ditches behind, and 
many of them overgrown with hawthorn hedges, 
everywhere interlaced the fields. Low stone houses, 
all neatly whitewashed, are the homes of the laborers. 
The land is owned by the nobility, and let to the 
tenants. It is everywhere carefully tilled. Oats, 
peas, beans, barley, and potatoes, are abundant; saw 
no orchards. It is havin^: time, and men and women 
are together in the fields at work, with equal rights. 
They looked hale, happy, and hearty. For eight 
miles we ride through such scenery, with a good 
driver, who gladly tells us the places of most inter- 
est and their history. For instance, we pass Dun- 
luce Castle, in ruins, the most picturesque ruins in 
Ireland, and perhaps in the kingdom. It stands on 
an isolated rock, one hundred feet above the sea, 
and only reached from the mainland by a bridge — a 
natural bridge — eighteen inches wide. It was built 
as the residence of the McQuilliaus, and afterward 
of the McDonalds, of Scotland, he having married 
into the former family. The Scottish family are 
still lords of Antrim and Dunluce. This castle is 
the subject of endless tradition, and has been the 
scene of many romantic as well as horrible events. 

At length we reach the object of our day's trip — 
the Giant's Causeway — quite unlike my anticipation. 
All the way from Portrush we have been near the 
sea, on bluffs two and three hundred feet high, 
mostly of limestone, here and there deeply washed 
into, and forming many wild caverns, through which 
the roaring sea makes wild music. When we 
reached the terminus we found the bluff increased 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 61 

to five hundred feet somewhat back, leaving ample 
room to go down among the basaltic rocks which, in 
their regular arrangement and structure, give it its 
name. To get a full view, we take a guide and 
boat, and go out among the rocks swid coves at some 
risk, as the swells are constantly tossing us among 
the rocks; indeed, one corpulent lady fell into the 
sea, and was with some difficulty rescued by two 
sailors, who jumped in to aid her. The basaltic 
promontory reaches some one thousand feet into the 
sea. Man's art could hardly rival the nicety with 
which the prisms tit each other. We can easily be- 
lieve when told we walk over some fort}^ thousand 
of these polished columns. We cannot tell all the 
legends connected with the Giant's Well, the Por- 
toon Cave, the Dunkerry Cave, the Giant's Amphi- 
theater, Chimney Tops, and Gateway, which our 
broguish guide told us, to say nothing of his second 
eighteen-year-old wife and his seventeen children. 
Here cometh the legend of the origin of the Giant's 
Causewaj^, or cause- why: The giant, Finn McCoul, 
was the champion of Ireland, and felt very much 
aggrieved at the insolent boasting of a certain Cale- 
donian giant, who offered to beat all who came be- 
fore him, and even dared to tell Finn that if it were 
not for the wetting of himself, he would swim over 
and give him a drubbing. Finn at last applied to 
the king, who not, perhaps, daring to question the 
•doings of such a mighty man, gave him leave to con- 
struct a causeway right across to Scotland, on which 
the Scot walked over and fought the Irishman. Finn 
turned out victor, and, with an amount of generos- 
ity quite becoming his Hibernian descent, kindly 
allowed his former rival to marry and settle in Ire- 
land, which the Scot was nothing loth to do, seeing 
that at that time living in Scotland was none of the 
best; and everybody knows that Ireland is the 
richest country in the world. Since the death of 



62 A Mbmphian's Trip to Europe. 

the giants, the causeway, being no longer wanted, 
has sunk under the sea, only leaving a portion of 
itself visible here, and a trifle at the Island of Rath- 
lin and the portals of the grand gate on Staffa. 
After six we retraced our course to Portrush, where 
we stopped awhile to look at a nice granite monu- 
ment reared in memory of Dr. Adam Clarke, the 
great Methodist preacher, and author of those com- 
mentaries so long the authority of Bible students. 
We shall have occasion to remember Portrush, for, 
on our arrival, at 2 p. m., and before going to the 
Causeway, we were met by a band of music, and 
escorted to the town-hall, where a sumptuous ban- 
quet was in store for us, though we were one day 
ahead of time. Englishmen, in white vests and 
aprons, aided us beyond what we were able to help 
ourselves to good things. We had new potatoes, 
grown here this summer — this nearly fifty-five de- 
grees north. Amusement mingled with the dinner 
at the expense of a few more greed}- for the good 
things than the others. By way of amusement, on 
the table was a new something shaped like an 
inverted bowl, with a tea saucer on the top filled 
with candies and goodies; the whole structure was 
white, like frosted cake. Our eager gourmands cut 
into it; it was white and hard like tallow; visions 
of something good and new whetted the appetites 
of the tasters. A sudden elevation of nose, and 
upturning of lips, with a look around to see if any- 
body was watching them, plainly indicated that 
they had sold themselves for naught — but tallow; 
that it was, and nothing more. 

At twelve, midnight, we reached the Victoria, 
found supper waiting, and at one, after twenty- two 
hours of day, sought our berths. 



GrLASGOw, SCOTLAND, July 3, 1873. 
We reached this place yesterday, coming up the 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 63 

Clyde — for the most part man made the river, for, 
said a Scotchman as we were sailing up, "My grand- 
mother when a girl could step across it at Glasgow." 
It has been dug and deepened like a canal, till now 
it is the second shipping port in Great Britain, as 
well as the second city of commercial importance. 
Our approach to it was interesting; among other 
places passing the death and burial-place of Robert 
Bruce, and the famous Dumbarton Castle, where 
for a long time Wallace, of Scottish historj^, had 
his dwelling-place. It is live hundred and sixty 
feet high, and a mile in circumference, a huge 
double-peaked rock rising, almost completely sur- 
rounded, from the river, or rather from the junction 
of the Clyde and Leven Rivers. It is entered by a 
gate at the bottom, and within among the relics is 
Wallace's two-handed sword, five and one-half feet 
in length. Its history is part of that of this country. 
A little farther up the river we pass the remains of 
an old tower, ivy-clad, from the midst of which 
rises a lofty monumental shaft, on which we read as 
we passed, "Henry Bell." He was the builder of 
the first steam-boat on the Clyde, now a river on 
which more iron steam-boats are made than in all 
the world beside. Held in memorj^ beside a wharf 
just above the monument, was the "Industry," 
the second steam-boat built here; the first was called 
the "Comet." On and on we sailed, looking right 
and left upon some of those beautiful farms and 
lawns of which we have read; mansions, parks, and 
surroundings indicating wealth, culture, and age. 
Our winding way was somewhat new, and perhaps 
worthy of description. As the Clyde is very nar- 
row, we had a steam-tug ahead and one astern of us, 
so that when the Victoria would turn in some of 
the windings, one tug would pull the prow of the 
great ship one way, and the one at the stern pull 
the other way. Thus we entered the city, passing 



64 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

ship-yard after ship-yard, where the building of the 
ocean steamers gives employment to many thousand 
men. Iron steamers we could see in all stages of • 
structure, from iron keels, and iron ribs, and iron 
lungs, iron sides and iron decks, iron wheels and 
iron ropes; and the clatter and clangor of ten thou- 
sand iron hammers, mingled with the puffing and 
piping steam-boats, and the oft-repeated cheers of 
merry passengers on outward-bound ships, all served 
to fill the mind with new delights. 

Glasgow is the most prosperous city in Scotland; 
and in wealth, population, and commercial impor- 
tance is now the second in the United Kingdom; 
in external appearance elegant and impressive, sub- 
stantially built and regular in arrangement. It is 
in the vicinity of extensive coal-fields, and has 
ready access by the Clyde and the canal to the 
Atlantic and German Oceans. Its present harbor, 
called the Broomielaw, is a basin of about fifty 
acres, with fine quays, and deep enough for the 
largest vessels. Glasgow first grew wealthy in the 
tobacco trade, and the prosperous men were called 
tobacco lords. This trade failing, the cotton trade 
took its place, and prosperity made this city master 
of the cotton situation. Competition withdrew the 
trade after awhile; and then, turning attention to 
iron ship-building, she now rules the world in this 
line of manufactures, and more than one-half a 
million people occupy her dwellings. The one 
great object of interest to the tourist here is the 
Cathedral, founded more than seven hundred years 
ago. So far it is the grandest structure I have 
entered — massive, well-proportioned, and beautiful. 
Sixteen years ago all the windows were put in 
anew, richly colored, and enough of them to give a 
pictorial history of Bible scenes commencing with 
Adam and coming down through all subsequent 
sacred history far this side of our Saviour's death 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 65 

and ascension. As works of art, and specimens of 
beautiful coloring, they can hardly be surpassed; 
the perfection and richness of the colors can hardly 
be surpassed; the perfection and richness of the 
colors is worthy of all praise; but as true represen- 
tations of Bible facts they are not trustworthy. For 
instance, the prodigal son has a richer coloring to 
his robes than the silks and satins of to-day, and 
the poor widow dropping her mites into the treasury 
has an elegance of drapery that the greatest devotee 
of modern fashion might envy; and our Saviour, the 
man without comeliness, and the poor he came to 
help, all are clothed in bright and shining garments. 
Pictorial truth and history here disagree, and yet 
the colored tracing on the windows is strikingly 
beautiful. Adjoining the Cathedral is the Necrop- 
olis, a cemeterj^, in which are many beautiful mon- 
uments of men renowned in history. Take that of 
John Knox, whose power as a reformer the world 
well knows. Here also is a monument to John 
Dick, the Christian philosopher; through such men 
Scotland became Protestant, and the Cathedral is 
now Presbyterian, as this is the Established Church 
of Scotland. As elsewhere, so here, Cromwell 
meant to destrov this cathedral, and but for the de- 
terniined resistance of one man it would have been 
accomplished. Perhaps the most attractive building 
in Glasgow is the Royal Exchange, built in 1829, 
noted for its decorative architecture; and in front 
of it is an equestrian statue in bronze of the Duke 
of Wellington, costing, by subscription, fifty thou- 
sand dollars. George's Square, the largest in the 
city, incloses many monuments; one to Sir Walter 
Scott is a Doric column, eighty feet in height, with 
his statue on the top. At one corner of the square 
is a bronze statue of James Watt; in another cor- 
ner, one to Sir Robert Peel, while within the square 
are bronze statues to Sir John Moore and Lord 



6Q A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

Clvde, both natives of Glasgow. But I may not 
dwell on the works of man iu the city. We take 
cars and stages for mountain and lake scenery; and 
it will not be uninterestingtoyour readers who have 
read "The Lady of the Lake," to know that we fol- 
lowed iu the very track of Fitz James, in his chase 
along the shores of Loch Achray and Loch Katrine, 
through the Trossachs, and among the bold moun- 
tain peaks of Ben Nevis and Ben Lomond. Such 
mountains, piled in confused grandeur around such 
beautiful lakes, and such charming islands as Ellen's 
Isle, have never before made such pleasing impres- 
sions on my eyes, or called forth such sublime emo- 
tion from my heart. The whole region round about 
is made classic by the genius of Scott, whose stories 
have their truth and illustration in these wild moun- 
tains and lovely lakes. It was amid such scenery as 
this we spent the Fourth of July, and many a hearty 
cheer went echoing along the lakes and up the 
mountains as from time to time we caught sight of 
some little American flag that friends waved to us 
as we passed their pleasure parties or their wild 
mountain homes; for our coming is known in ad- 
vance along the whole journey. It was a glorious 
Fourth, though we wore overcoats all the day. We 
have seen the glory of the natural Scotland. 



Brussels, July 11, 1873. 

Kind readers, once more I take up the pen to re- 
cord some of the scenes through which I have 
passed in the last few days. At Edinburgh we spent 
two days — Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday 
we visited the castle overlooking the city. Here a 
bird's-eye view of the capital city amply repays the 
toil of climbing to it. Only those who have visited 
castles on the eminences of Scotland can form a 
very clear conception of its size and strength. It is 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 67 

one of four kept in repair and use in Scotland. In 
this one are kept the crown and crown-jewels of 
Scotland. Here are the rooms occupied by kings 
and queens. We were shown the rooms down from 
the window of which, in a basket, descended the 
infant James, afterward king. Lovers of such rem- 
nants of royalty may gaze with wonder at them if 
they win. I am interested in them only so far as 
they help to give history of the past a greater fresh 
ness and reality. We pass to the occupied palace 
of Holyrood, where we see the massive walls re- 
quired to preserve the sacred persons of royalty. 
We see where kings and queens have been born and 
murdered — where queens were kept as prisoners, or 
danced in rooms adorned with paintings of royal 
ancestors. We see a splendid fountain, where a few 
years since stood a statue of Queen Victoria, so 
poorly executed that Prince Albert had it buried six 
feet under the horse-stable, to be dug up by some 
future generation, with as much wonder as the Car- 
diff Giant. 

We gaze with admiration on the splendid monu- 
ments of Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, and 
others whom man delights to honor. We go to 
church on the Lord's day, and hear a good, sound 
sermon in the Tron Church, from Rev. Mr. McGregor, 
D.D., in true Scottish Presbyterian style, as to dress 
reforms. 

Monday morning we start for Abbotsford, the 
home of Sir Walter Scott. Here we spent some 
hours looking through armorial halls, halls of paint- 
ings, and his library of twenty thousand volumes ; 
saw the many presents from time to time given him 
by fond admirers of his genius; then, without, we 
walked through ample grounds made beautiful by 
his own genius, and left with a pleasant picture in 
the mind of the palace of Abbotsford, on the Tweed. 

Next, Melrose Abbey took an hour of our time in 



68 A Mempiiian's Tkip to Eukope. 

looking at its still wonderfal ruins, once the finest 
cathedral in all Scotland. Within it is buried the 
heart of Bruce; for they have a strange way over 
here of satisfying the Cathedral's desire for royal 
remains, by giving part of the body to one, and 
another to another — and parts or the whole of still 
earlier kings. Besides a burial-place of royalty, it is 
remarkable for its architecture, beautiful in its ruins 
— the fine sculpture in stone, and the climbing ivy 
to the very top, here and there adorning it with 
living green. 

Taking the cars, we are hurried along through 
garden-like fields, where every rod is well tilled, and 
grain-fields yellow with wild mustard, and red with 
the poppy — here a troublesome weed. Next we pass 
into an uncultivated region — the Downs — huge 
sheep-pastures, where for miles we see neither tree, 
nor fence, nor house; only sheep-cotes, and shep- 
herds watching their fiocks far away on the plain, or 
up the mountain sides. Hours pass, and we find 
ourselves in the coal regions. Hillsides and valleys 
are black with bituminous coal, and busy thousands 
are engaged in bringing it to the surface. We skip 
the city of Manchester, and pass through Sheffield, 
noted for its cutlery manufactories. All along the 
country is darkened by the smoke of so many iron- 
making furnaces, that, as I gaze at all this — the mere 
outside — I am inclined to think that, as an ao^ricul- 
tural people, they are busily engaged in raising — 
coal; and in like manner, their chief manufacture 
is — smoke. 

At 7:30 p. M. we enter Derby, to find the streets 
and depot crowded with thousands of men, women, 
and children, gathered there to see "the Ameri- 
cans." We are a hundred and fifty, and our coming 
is known ; for in the spacious halls of the Midland 
Kailroad Station has been provided our dinner. His 
Honor the Mayor presides, surrounded by other 



Letters from Eev. A. B. Whipple. 69 

dignitaries of the city. Here we have a real English 
test of hospitality — good things in abundance to 
eat, beautiful flowers to adorn the table, English 
and American flags to embellish the room, and 
English men and women to eat and drink with us in 
friendly cheer. Drinking toasts to the Queen and 
the President, and the others, with speeches of wel- 
come and the replies, filled up the time till 11 o'clock, 
when we, tired, sought our beds. 

l^ext morning we were borne onward by cars — an 
especial train of twelve cars, which, thus far, has 
been at our disposal — to Alton Towers. Here is the 
palatial home of the Earl of Shrewsbury — the pre- 
mier or first Earl in rank in England, though not 
the wealthiest, having an income of only <£50,000, 
or $250,000 — the owner of several estates like this, 
some twenty-five miles in length by &ve or more in 
breadth. His income is from the rental of his 
lands, averaging about five dollars an acre for what 
is good enough to let. "We w^ere met by his private 
brass band, and escorted by them to the chapel, 
where for an hour we gazed on the rich adornments 
of the spacious room, or listened to the true English 
style of service. After this we were guided through 
splendid halls, made so by paintings of ancestors and 
royal personages, sculpture such as only the wealthy 
can purchase, and furniture massive and elegant. 
Koom after room was shown to us, though at every 
door stood a soldier on guard, ^ext we wandered 
through sixty acres of the prettiest garden scenery 
I ever saw. Flowers of every kind, in all conceiva- 
ble places— in dells, caverns, or terraces, in ponds, 
in hot-houses, with towers, Swiss cottages, Chinese 
towers — all extremely beautiful, and not easily de- 
scribed. A great flower-show was held at the same 
time, in tents within the garden, to which all the 
people from the country round had gathered. This 
show is like our fair, in this : the show is limited 



70 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

to flowers and plants, for which prizes are offered. 
So on gathered and skillfully-arranged flowers we 
gazed in pleasure. E"ext, in a tent with our flag 
above it, the Earl gave us a dinner, followed, as at 
Derb}^, with toasts and speeches. At 9 o'clock we 
were in London. 



Letter from Miss Hattie Sianard. 71 



CHAPTER IV. 

Letter from Miss Hattie Stanard, Des Moines, Iowa. 

Glasgow, Scotland, July 3, 1873. 

Editor Iowa School Journal: — Yes, at last we 
have realized our fondest hopes — we have been 
tossed on the mountain waves of the broad Atlan- 
tic — we are in Europe. And yet with all that^ we 
would not forget our promise to the Iowa School 
Journal; for we have pleasant recollections of the 
past, and do not wish to be forgotten by our Iowa 
friends. After tearing ourselves away from them 
on that memorable Wednesday afternoon, we went 
into the car, and after watering a bouquet that had 
been pressed into our hand at the last moment with 
a few tears — not from any sense of duty, but be- 
cause we had a cinder in our eye, for our thoughts 
were really too sad to find the relief that tears 
bring — we concluded that we had been as miserable 
as we could, so we ended that scene and have had 
a good time ever since. 

We spent one day in Cleveland, Ohio; and right 
here let me say, if any of our friends ever stop in 
that beautiful city, be sure to ride out on Euclid 
street. We think it one of the handsomest streets 
to be found in America. 

At Niagara we spent one day listening to the 
"Thunder of Waters," and the everlasting "Have 
your picture taken? Do it cheaper than any one 
else; only three dollars and a-half." We could 



72 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

enjoy it for fifty or sixt}^ times, but there was a 
great deal of sameness about it when Ave heard it at 
every step (we refer to the latter). We could listen 
to Niagara forever, and it would always remind us 
of the power and greatness of Him who hath made 
all things, the small as well as the great, and who 
careth for all. 

We enjoyed the day very much, and especially 
when we were done up in an oil-cloth hood and 
frock, accompanied by some high rubber boots, and 
went under the falls, helped along by a good-na- 
tured guide, who every once in a while said, "How 
do you like it as far as you have gone ?" At half- 
past five p. M. we left for l^ew York by way of the 
Hudson River. Were somewhat disappointed with 
the scenery on the Hudson; having heard so much 
in its favor, we expected more than we saw. Ar- 
rived in the metropolis about noon, Friday. Spent 
the afternoon in Central Park; would have liked a 
week to spend there, but no, the time had come, 
the most eventful day, thus far, of our lives, when 
we were to sail on our first ocean voyage; and it 
was with every hope inspired that we were carried 
out of the hotel in the arms of the accommodating 
porter, loaded into a hack, and driven to pier num- 
ber twenty, where we went aboard the Victoria, 
our home for the next nine days. 

We have a fine steamer, and every thing more 
than meets our expectations. A jolly company of 
one hundred and forty-five, representing twenty- 
three states of the Union, good state-rooms, oblig- 
ing officers, stewards, and stewardesses; nice things 
to eat, and such an appetite! We think the 
Anchor Line will not make very much ofi:" this 
company, we are too regular at meals, and there 
has been so little sea-sickness. What we miss most 
at table is the bread. When we asked a pensive- 
looking steward, "Why is this thus?" his eyes 



Letter from Miss Hattie Stanard. 73 

brightened (they like to tell stories), and straight- 
ening himself back, he said, "Once we had a baker, 
we trusted him, but away back in I^ew York he 
got angry, went off on a spree, and just as the ves- 
sel was about to leave he rushed aboard, seized the 
yeast, and yeast nor man has ever been heard of 
since, madam." Then drawingalongsigh, he walked 
slowly back to the regions of cookerjdom, in a way 
that would cause us to never mention bread again. 
We have heard of some who doubted the story, but 
we believe it; we feel sure tbat that steward "can- 
not tell a lie, pa." 

This is the first time crossing the ocean for the 
most of our party, and life on ship-board is so dif- 
ferent from what we had thought, that with all our 
guide-books and kind advice from friends, we find 
that one needs to make one trip across in order to 
know how to go and what to take. I think, how- 
ever, that the most of us remembered to leave our 
formality at home, as well as our Sunday clothes. 
For amusements we have occasionally a shark, 
whale,* or porpoise, and in the evening, after devo- 
tional exercises, we usually have something literary, 
and then games of all sorts, "and yet we are not 
happy," for we have not been sea-sick, and are afraid 
we may die without ever knowing what the feeling 
is. It is quite amusing to see the different kinds of 
sea-sick people. Some went to their berths at once, 
even before the steamer sailed, though for two days 
the sea was very calm — no more motion than on a 
river — but they were afraid they might be sick. 
Others kept several kinds of remedies on hand, and 
v/ould take a sip of each every once in a while. 
The only wonder to me is that there is as much left 
of them as there is. Some lie whining in^ their 
state-rooms, and their friends take them huge plates 
of raisins, tigs, nuts, etc. Their only wish is that 
they were back on land again, and I think it is all 
4 



74 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

the wish their fellow-passengers have for them. 
Others look cross, and grumble. We think their 
only wish is to be let alone. This latter class is 
composed mostly of the stronger-minded. We saw 
one of them, a man (they are mostly men), dragged 
about the deck in spite of himself for nearly an 
hour, by two large females. The majority belong 
to a more sensible class, who stay as much as pos- 
sible in the pure air, enjoy every thing there is to 
be enjoyed, and forget to be sick. Perhaps it is the 
novelty, but we think the two Sabbaths spent on 
the ocean among the pleasantest of our lives. Of 
all places, there seems to be no place more appro- 
priate, or more natural, to worship God than on the 
deck of an ocean steamer, for then do we see how 
completely we are in his power, and those who 
have never trusted him before it seems must trust 
him there. 

The first Sabbath services were conducted in the 
morning by Rev. Mr. Witherspoon, of University 
of Virginia. After reading that beautiful 104th 
Psalm, and all joining in singing " Rock of Ages," 
he discoursed on the reasonableness of being a 
Christian; then all sang "Nearer, my God, to thee." 
When we heard those voices of different nationali- 
ties, and from nearly every state in the Union, join- 
ing ill those beautiful hymns, we understood the 
meaning of the "communion of saints." The ser- 
mon on last Sabbath was not less interesting — given 
by Rev. Mr. Barrows. Text: "Come unto me all 
ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give 
you rest." We were sorry and disgusted to see 
teachers forming little religious "rings," the Metho- 
dist Episcopals in one group, the Presbyterians in 
another. Episcopalians in atiother, etc. Only thir- 
teen preachers aboard — five Presbyterian, four Meth- 
odist Episcopal, two Congregational, one Baptist, 
one Episcopalian. 



Letter pkom Miss Hattie Stanard. 75 

Here we do not look at the clock for the time, 
but listen for the bells: One bell, one-half o'clock; 
two bells, one o'clock; three bells, half-past one; 
four bells, two o'clock; five bells, half-past two; six 
bells, three o'clock; seven bells, half-past three; 
eight bells, four o'clock; then commence at one 
bell again. 

The first few days out the sea was very calm, and 
when we touched the Gulf Stream the atmosphere 
was warm, the water a beautiful green, quite differ- 
ent from the dark blue of the ocean. About the 
fourth day there came up a stiff gale, and then the 
ship was "rolled to larboard, rolled to starboard." 
At night we would go to our berths thinking of 
what Grace Greenwood thought when trying to 
sleep in Sacramento during the earthquake, "Rock 
me to sleep, mother," only we thought father, 
instead of mother. We heard of one "bloated 
aristocrat" who was rolled out of his berth, but 
when we saw his robust form, we were surprised 
that he could stay in in the calmest night, and did 
not blame old ocean. Life at sea is an exceedingly 
lazy life. Some came -on board with " stern deter- 
mination flashing in their eagle eyes," and carrying 
huge portfolios, books, fancy-work, and we saw one 
lady with sewing the second day ; but before the 
third day Avas ended this enterprising woman, like 
all the rest, -had subsided, as far as work was con- 
cerned, and had gone to sucking lemons. There 
are two things — the ocean, and a sunset on the 
ocean — that we will not attempt to describe, feeling 
sure that if we did it would be a failure. There is 
something too grand about them to express. It 
must be seen to be appreciated, and then we think 
it will never leave one's memory. 

We landed off Moville, July 1st, after making 
the shortest trip ever made bj^ the Anchor Line. 
There we met Mr. Cook, junior, who had his ar- 



76 A Memphian's Trip to Europe, 

rangements all made for the day, and took us in a 
tug to Londonderry, eighteen miles, a nice place of 
twenty thousand inhabitants, where w^e took the 
train for Portrush, thirty miles, passing through 
Colraine, an old place, but nothing of particular in- 
terest to be seen. The railway carriages are very 
different from our cars, and we think pleasanter, 
being smaller and more secluded. They do not 
have conductors here on the cars, but guards, and 
no boys go through the trains selling pea-nuts, prize 
packages, etc. Portrush is the stopping-place for 
visitors to the Giant's Causeway, and there are 
many things of interest there besides the causeway. 
After a nice lunch, and a short speech from our 
** chief cook," we all went in jaunting-cars to the 
causeway, a distance of about eight miles, passing 
the Castle of Dunluce, about two miles from Port- 
rush, which is considered one of the most interest- 
ing castles in the kingdom. We had a very intelli- 
gent driver, a native of the "Emerald Isle," who, 
when we wound him up at the start, went on talk- 
ing the rest of the day, telling us all he knew, and, 
as we afterward found, some things he did not 
know. At the causeway our company was divided 
into several smaller parties, with a guide for each. 
One of the most noticeable things at the causeway is 
the "Giant's Organ," a great colonnade of pillars 
reaching to a height of one hundred and twenty feet. 
Farther east another variety is presented, the 
"Chimney Tops," three pillars, the tallest of which 
is forty-five feet. They stand upon an isolated rock 
some distance from the cliff'. It is said that these 
chimney tops were cannonaded from one of the 
ships of the Spanish Armada. It was in the night, 
and the crew mistook them for the "chimneys" of 
Bunluce Castle. We sat in the "Lady's Wishing 
Chair," and wished the wdsh that is to forever after 
make us happy. One of the singularities of the 



Letter from Miss Hattie Stanard. 77 

immense number of columns is that there ia but 
one of three sides. More numerous are those of five 
sides, but the most have six sides, a few with as 
many as seven, eight, or nine sides, but none often. 
The road from Portrush to the causeway lies 
along the beach, and is a very beautiful drive. At 
Portrush we saw Dr. Clarke's monument. All en- 
joyed the day very much, and we think came back 
with higher ideas of Ireland than we had ever had 
before. The people crowded the depots, with smil- 
ing faces, and kind words of welcome, and at Port- 
rush the band came out and played us several tunes, 
such as "Yankee Doodle," "Our Country," "Star 
Spangled Banner," etc. We reached the Victoria 
at twelve o'clock p. m., tired but happy, for we had 
seen far more than we had expected to see. Two 
things that are scarce in Ireland are school-houses 
and cemeteries. Our driver said they had to kill a 
man to start a cemetery at Portrush. Three hearty 
cheers for Old Ireland and Scotland, we say. 



78 A Memphian's Trip to Eceopb. 



CHAPTER V. 

Eev. C. W. Gushing, President of Auburndale College, Massa- 
chusetts, writes the following to the Boston Traveller : 

June 21, 1 p.m., 1873. 

Cook's Educational Tour. — We are all afloat. The 
party consists of one hundred and sixty-five, and 
quite a majority are ladies. Two of the number 
have failed to come to time. All seem very happy 
as yet, for old l!^eptune is asleep. We are hoping 
no one will awaken him at present. Cook, Son & 
Jenkins have done every thing in their power to get 
us ofl' in good shape. They certainly know their 
business. Our goodly steamer Yictoria is every inch 
a queen. I will tell you more of her when I know 
more. I send by mail a printed list of the names of 
the party. A more select-looking company could 
not easily be found. I send you this line by the 
pilot, from off Sandy Hook. More anon if — sailors 
know what. 



Mayence, Germany, July 15, 1873. 

Since reaching Scotland we have been traveling 
over enchanted fields, wandering through the silent 
halls of palaces and castles which belonged to other 
days and other epochs of historj^, and roaming amid 
delectable mountains. But I want to break the 
thread of our itinerary just here, long enough to 



Letters from Eev. C. W. Gushing. 79 

'give you a brief sketch of two Sabbaths — one in 
Scotland, and the other in Germany. 

After spend! no; one day in Glasgow, we went, on 
July 4th, to StirHng Castle — of which I cannot tell 
you now — crossing the battle-fields of Bannockburn 
and Stirling Bridge, through Loch Katrine, Loch 
Lomond, and the Trossachs, to Edinburgh. Here 
we spent our first Sabbath on shore. In the morn- 
ing our whole party went, by special invitation, to 
the old Tron Church, to listen to a sermon from the 
eminent Dr. McGregor. He is a man scarcely more 
than forty years of age, of medium size, quite de- 
formed when seen out of the pulpit, of very dark 
complexion, with curly hair nearly black, and a full 
black beard. His face is very marked, especially 
his eye and forehead. He has a rich Scotch voice, 
with their marked inflections, brogue, and broad 
vowel sounds. His text was from Matthew iv 1, 2, 
etc., and his theme the temptation of Christ. The 
sermon was a very striking one, full of richest 
thought and suggestions, and delivered with an en- 
thusiasm and fervor which kindled his whole audience 
into rapture. I am sure the sermon will not soon 
be forgotten by any who heard it. A few fitting 
words were addressed directly to the American vis- 
itors at the conclusion of the sermon. During the 
day I managed to hear two other sermons — one from 
the venerable Dr. Alexander, and the other from 
Dr. Scott, and the most of a sermon from the Kev. 
Dr. Wallace, the reformer in the Established Church. 
All these sermons, as you would expect, were very 
rich treats. But what I want especially to speak 
of is the marked features of a Sabbath in Scotland. 
In the first place, no horse-cars (or tram-ways, so 
they call them) are running, and there is scarcely 
an}^ driving, and very little walking on the streets, 
except by those who are going to church, and it 
really seems as though this embraced everybody. 



80 A Memphian's Thip to Europe. 

After service in the evening, I vv^alked out with an 
Edinburgh gentleman through the lower parts of 
the city, and found every thing quiet and orderly. 
I saw one small place where beer was sold standing 
open, but nobody was buying. In the churches 
there was no spare room — all were filled. But the 
earnest attention of the audience was what impressed 
me most. I looked about the house for listless ones. 
Surely, I said, some of these boys and girls will be 
gazing about. But I did not find such, though I 
have no doubt that such may have been in the au- 
dience. So far as I could see, old men and women, 
young men and maidens, and even the children, had 
their eyes fixed intently upon the preacher, while 
the expression upon their faces indicated a deep in- 
terest in what was said. 

It was really delightful and cheering to spend a 
Sabbath under such circumstances. There is none 
of that looseness about the observance of the day 
which is seen in our own country, even in Puritanic 
'New England. I do not suppose that everybody 
went to church, or that every one who remained at 
home regarded the day as it ought to be; but there 
was certainly a much more general regard of it than 
I have been accustomed to see; and an indication 
of a prevailing religious sentiment, a high-toned 
faith in the Bible and Sabbath, which was refreshing 
to a Christian. I am inclined to think that Edin- 
burgh has a reputation for such Sabbaths; for an 
Englishman asked me on our way up if we were to 
spend a Sabbath there. I told him we expected to. 
"Well," said he, "you will find it the dullest place 
you were ever in. There is nothing going on on 
Sunday." "Indeed," said I, "don't they have re- 
ligious services?" "0 yes," said he, "plenty of 
that; but there is nothing else going on." 

Our next Sabbath found us at Cologne, a remarka- 
bly quiet and orderly little city, but under entirely 



Letters from Rev. C. W. Cushing. 81 

different religious influences. The first thing that 
impressed me as I stepped upon the street was the 
fact that the stores were all open, and the markets 
in full blast. A little later in the day multitudes 
began to gather in the beer and wine-gardens. 
Crossing the Rhine to the old town of Cologne, we 
encountered a long procession of men, women, boys, 
and girls, led by Catholic priests and a large number 
of novitiates, in full regalia, parading the streets 
with bands of music in honor of St. Michael. The 
streets, for miles, were strewed with the branches of 
trees and with flowers, while in nearly every window 
along the whole line of the procession were images 
and burning candles. A large number of the men 
carried immense candles, burning, while over the 
heads of themore venerable priests were borne large 
golden canopies. All along the line children and 
adults were either singing or counting their beads 
aloud. In the old cathedral — by far the grandest 
which we have seen yet — services were held half- 
hourly, though comparatively few were in attend- 
ance, excepting at children's service, at 2 o'clock. 

A little away from the cathedral the museum and 
other public buildings were all open, and were 
crowded. At 11 o'clock we attended the English 
Chapel services, where seventy-five persons were 
present. 

In the afternoon, just in front of our hotel, there 
was a grand swimming match, which was announced 
by the firing of cannon. All day the river was filled 
with the boats of pleasure-parties. At 3 o'clock 
P.M. the government band came into the garden of 
our hotel, and began a grand concert, which was 
kept up, with occasional intermissions, until 10 
o'clock at night. At half-past seven our party held 
a short prayer-meeting in one of the dining-rooms, 
amid the playing of the band and the drinking of 
wine and beer "just outside. Coming from our 
4,^ 



82 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

prayer-meeting, our landlord announced that they 
were going to close up the entertainment with a few 
fireworks. So just on the veranda of our hotel, 
fronting on the Rhine, we had for an hour a magnifi- 
cent display of fireworks, as the closing ceremony of 
our first Sabbath under the German regime. 

Let those who would introduce the German type 
of Sabbath into America, ponder. 



The Educational Party in Edinburgh. 83 



CHAPTER VI. 

[I copy from the Edinburgh Daily Review the following, 
omitting the speeches of Mr. Thinex, who presided. Dr. 
Donaldson made an address, the concluding paragraph of 
which I copy.] 

The American Educational Party in JEclinhurgh. — 
On Saturday morning we announced the arrival in 
Edinburgh of the large party of Americans who are 
presently making a short excursion into the Old 
World, under the guidance of the veteran manager 
of tours, Mr. John Cook. Twenty-seven years ago 
Mr. Cook first appeared among the citizens of the 
Scotch metropolis with a party of ^vq hundred 
English tourists, who were bent on exploring our 
historically interesting, and naturally beautiful, 
country. Since then his field of operations has 
gradually extended until it now embraces the whole 
world. The chief theater of his tours is, however, 
the European Continent, over which he yearl}^ 
guides hundreds and thousands — among the luxuri- 
ant vineyards of France and Italy, the fertile plains 
of Holland, the romantic towns of Germany, the 
gorgeous scenery of the Rhine, and the almost in- 
accessible valleys of Switzerland. The party at 
present under his charge, numbering one hundred 
and fifty, consists principally of teachers — ladies 
and gentlemen, collected from twenty-seven differ- 
ent States of America — together with several pro- 
fessors and gentlemen of the press. About fifty of 
them are acting on the present occasion as corres- 



84 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

pendents of newspapers, so that doubtless the im- 
pressions which they receive of the places which 
they visit during their sojourn in Europe will be 
widely disseminated amongst the myriad inhabitants 
of the United States. Before starting, the party 
was divided into four sections, each of whose pro- 
gramme of operations differs slightly from that of 
the others. One of the sections only reached Scot- 
land on Saturday with the steamer Canada, of the 
Anchor Line, and will join the main body of ex- 
cursionists at London during the week. 

At eight o'clock the lecture hall of the Industrial 
Museum w^as crowded by an audience of Edinburgh 
citizens, congregated to welcome the members of 
the Educational Party from America. The members 
of the excursion committee occupied seats on the 
platform, and the remainder of the Americans were 
accommodated immediately in front. 

Dr. Donaldson then gave a brief account of the 
early education of Sir Walter Scott, at the High 
School of Edinburgh, and the progress that he 
made, as illustrative of the pleasing and interesting 
nature of a teacher's duties. The great object they 
ought to have in view was to look after the interest 
of the average boy. There was no doubt that they 
exercised a mighty power in the molding of na- 
tions; and if they spread sweetness through the 
boys, if their class-rooms were filled with gentle 
thoughts and gentle ways, if the bitterness of judg- 
ment were removed, if they tried to do justice to 
every nationality in dealing with the histor}- of na- 
tions, to bring out the good points, to show that 
the evil points were in most part shadows which 
grew around the central figure when it came into 
the sunlight, then, depend upon it, wars would 
cease, they would see nation joining hand with na- 
tion, and should bring forth that happy time men- 
tioned by the poet Burns, when men shall be 



The Educational Party in Edinburgh. 85 

brothers over the whole world. (Applause.) He 
begged in the name' of the whole of the teachers 
of Scotland to express how heartily they welcomed 
their brethren from America, how they were de- 
lighted to see those who labored in the same great 
work, and how earnestly they hoped that the pres- 
ent visit should be an enjoyable and profitable one, 
which should soon be repeated. (Applause.) 

Hev. T. D. Witherspoon (Virginia University), 
who was received with enthusiastic cheers, said he 
expressed the feelings of every member of their 
American party when he gave expression to their 
profound thanks for the manifestation which they 
had received that evening of the kindly feeling and 
generous hospitality of the citizens of Edinburgh. 
This was not the first welcome which they had re- 
ceived to Old Scotland. The chairman had spoken 
of the lines of steamers which connect the United 
Kingdom and America, and from the moment that 
they left ^N^ew York city and entered the steamer 
that was to bring them to Europe, they felt that 
Scotland had already put forth her hand not only 
to w^elcome them, but had reached forth her hand 
to take them and bear them to her own country. The 
vessel in which they came was built on the banks 
of the Clyde — (applause) — and if only a sufficient 
number of similar vessels so stout and good should 
be built there, and if only such commanders could 
be found in Scotland as Captain Robert E. Munroe, 
and if only such conductors and guides as Messrs. 
Cook & Sons could be provided for them, he safely 
believed it would be only a short time until the 
people of Scotland and America would be so well 
connected with each other that they would scarcely- 
know that there was any dift'erence between them. 
(Applause.) ISTor was it only the feehngs of cordi- 
ality which they met with on the vessel, but when 
looking over the list of officers they read the names 



86 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

of Munroe, Laird, Knox, Harrison, Stockdale, and 
others — all of them names that were connected 
with historic epochs in Scotland — they felt peculiar 
security in resting upon the hardihood, faith, and 
integrity of the Scottish people. On the first day 
of their sail from America there appeared in the 
midst of them a warm, generous-hearted Scotch- 
man, who bore another name — a historic name, cel- 
ebrated not only in Scotland, but renowned across 
the water — the name of Cunningham. (Applause.) 
They had hoped to have had him with them that 
evening, but he had been prevented from coming. 
He gave them both his hands, and represented to 
them that they should find a hearty welcome when 
they came to Scotland. Let him say that they had 
found it, that they had not been disappointed, but 
had received everywhere evidences of kindly feel- 
ing. He spoke in the name of the whole American 
party when he declared that they felt the verj^ deep- 
est interest in all that concerned the ancient and 
historical renown of this country. There were 
many of them in the party who could not only 
quote those beautiful words from Scott which were 
quoted by the chairman that evening, but who could 
take them up where he left them oB' — 

Land of our sires; what traitor's hand 
Shall e'er untie the filial band 
That binds us to thy native strand ? 

(Applause.) The blood of Scotland was in their 
veins, and though it had been watered by ten gene- 
rations in America, and though they were proud of 
being connected with the rise and progress of 
American institutions, yet all that was connected 
with the ancient and historical fame of Scotland, 
and that was connected with its present prosperity 
and progress, was dear to their hearts. (Applause.) 
And as they wandered to-day through this beautiful 



The Educational Party in Edinbureh. 87 

city — majestically beautiful beyond all that they had 
conceived — as they had visited the Castle and visited 
the Palace, and all the institutions of the city, they 
had felt a just and honest pride themselves in all 
that they had beheld. (Applause.) Yet, farther, 
let him say that if in America the spirit of devotion 
to right and truth had been manifested, its fires had 
been kindled in great measure by memories of the 
grand and historical struggles for right and liberty 
which make the history of Scotland. (Applause.) 
In visiting the field of Bannockburn and the town 
of Stirling, and other places of interest, they felt 
that they were theirs as well as ours. (Applause.) 
He would not occupy the time, however — (applause, 
and cries of "Go on!") — but would leave to his 
friend. Rev. Professor Gushing, who was to follow 
him, the task of replying to the address which had 
been delivered by the learned doctor who had just 
spoken. He concluded, remarking that if Mr. Gook 
brought one hundred and twenty Scottish men and 
women to America, they would receive in return as 
hearty a welcome as they had received in Scotland. 
(Loud applause.) 

Professor Charles Gushing said he thought he 
knew why he was in Scotland, but he really did not 
know why he was standing just where he did. He 
had learned when a little boy to love Scotland, and 
he was only realizing, all too briefly, the dreams of 
his boyhood, for he was born in Caledonia — in the 
JSTew World, up in the State of Vermont. (Laugh- 
ter.) He had to leave it when a little boy, and 
thought if he was a man he should certainly visit 
the original Caledonia. When he became older, and 
put away boyish things somewhat — he did not know 
whether it was because he was born in Caledonia, or 
not — but he found the one who was to stand by his 
side — his dear wife — had a good deal of Scottish 
blood in her veins, and a good deal of Scottish bloom 



88 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

in her face, and be rejoiced now to be bere in Scot- 
land. During the last two or three days he bad 
been wandering with this party of teachers over the 
beautiful and historical fields, and lakes, and cities 
of Scotland, and had stood upon the sites where 
noble men had stood, and wandered down by lakes 
where had been pointed out the haunts of Roderick 
Dhu and Rob Roy, and had stood where Burns, and 
Scott, and John Knox, and Erskine, and those noble 
men stood. He had felt sometimes as if he almost 
heard voices behind him saying, "Put off thy shoes 
from thy feet, for the place where thou standest is 
holy ground." The impression had been left upon 
bis mind that they were a very young people in 
America; they had no history. They had entered 
old castles here, and asked the guides — perhaps they 
ought to have been ashamed of their io^norance of 
history — when they were erected, and they had been 
told it was not known. (Laughter.) He had been 
tojd that more than once. They were now in aland 
where there were castles and temples standing so 
old that it made them feel that they were very young, 
and that they ought to feel that they knew very 
little, and he was glad to be here in Scotland, where 
there had been so many famous men — and women 
too — and where they might catch a little inspiration 
from that old history, and be re'impressed with the 
feelings which they had so often felt, and he was 
sure as teachers they should go home again and toil 
— for the teacher's life was a life of toil ; some of them 
did not know it, but it was — with a great deal more 
enthusiasm and a great deal more courage. About 
half of their number were practical teachers. (Ap- 
plause.) He was glad to say that the majority of 
them were. ladies. (Renewed applause.) Almost all 
of them were subordinate teachers. The professors 
and presidents of their colleges had been in Scotland, 
and been through Europe, and could take time for it; 



The Educational Party in Edinburgh. 89 

but the subordinate teachers had to run away durino* 
a summer vacation, when the boj^s and girls had gone 
home for a few weeks. They had come to catch a 
little inspiration from these old historic tields, and 
now they were glad to be here. They regretted ex- 
ceedingly that they could not meet directly with the 
teachers of Scotland in their places of work, and see 
how they worked. They were trying in America, 
in the States, as well as they could to do a little. 
They were trying to do much, and they hoped they 
were doing a little, to educate the people as they 
ought to be educated. (Applause.) They had not 
the men and women — especially the men — of fame 
which they had in Scotland. They had no such 
reputation, but they were working in their own w^ay, 
in common places amongst the people. Of course, 
they were Republicans (applause), and the only se- 
curity of the Republic was integrity and intelligence 
in every individual man and woman. (Hear, hear.) 
Every boy was to be a prince of the realm; he was 
ultimately to stand in a place where he would have 
as much voice to decide the destinies of the Govern- 
ment as any other man. It mattered not what his 
character was, what his attainments were. And so 
they felt that their life depended upon the thorough 
education of the masses of the people. It was for 
that reason, he supposed, that the efforts in America 
had been attracted so specially to the education of 
the people everywhere. In their public schools they 
were gathering in, so far as they could, and educat- 
ing the boys and girls; and just now there w^as an 
effort being made to give to their girls and young 
women a more thorough education than they ever 
had. Some of the best colleges and universities had 
thrown open their doors, and though that might not 
be the best education for girls — he doubted very 
much if it was after they were fifteen years of age — 
still they were throwing the doors open for the ex- 



90 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

periraent of allowing the girls to stand side bj side 
with boys and young men to determine what they 
could do. There was no question what they should 
do; the only question was, what was the best wa}^ 
to have it done, and the best circumstances under 
which it should be done. A very large majority of 
the teachers in their common, and often higher, 
schools, excepting colleges, were ladies. (Applause.) 
But he heard it said every now and again that women 
could not teach so well as men. He always met 
that charge by remarking that there was no reason 
why they should be expected to do so, for no nation 
had ever given women any thing like the same op- 
portunities of making preparation to teach as had 
been given to men. (Applause.) He should not 
expect women to teach Latin and Greek, when men 
received six or eight years of thorough drill, and 
women only got perhaps one or two years for the 
study of Latin, if they ever study Greek at all. In 
America a great deal w^as said about educating 
women for the best positions, and they were striv- 
ing to balance the whole, and to give not only to 
children of every class and condition opportunities 
for common education, but to give to every class 
alike, and to both sexes, equal opportunities for edu- 
cation ; and they felt that when they shall have done 
this, that they shall have done what no other na- 
tion, not even Scotland, has done for the elevation 
of the race. (Applause.) On behalf of the teachers 
present he thanked the meeting for the cordial wel- 
come they had received, not as Americans, but as 
teachers. Teachers only knew how to sympathize 
with one another. When they sat down to talk 
they understood each other's trials and each other's 
toils; and he only regretted that their limited time 
prevented them from seeing the teachers of Scot- 
land conducting their classes, and making such men 
as they had been accustomed to make in Scotland. 



The Educational Party in Edinburgh. 91 

If the}^ could .get "but an idea in the day or two the}^ 
were here, they should be more than compensated 
for any toil and inconvenience they had experienced 
since they had left the shores of their own country. 
(Applause.) 

While the professor was speaking the Lord Pro- 
vost entered the lecture-hall, and was received with 
loud cheering. At the conclusion of the learned 
professor's address, 

The Lord Provost said that it was with extreme 
regret that he had been unable to be present at the 
commencement of the proceedings, owing to his 
having been engaged on a public duty which took 
him to the country. He had written to say such 
might be the case; but if it had not been for the 
proverbial lateness of the trains on a certain railway, 
he should have been there in time. He congratu- 
lated upon their arrival in this old country the distin- 
guished party who had come over from the United 
States. Our American cousins were objects of pe- 
culiar interest, and at the same time we might say 
we loved them as our sons and daughters. (Ap- 
plause.) "When he thought of what that country, so 
great and yet in embryo, might become, compared 
with ourselves at the end of a very short period, 
when many of the young people present would be 
still living — that it would contain two hundred mil- 
lions of people, whilst this country would remain in 
about the same ratio as at present — he thought they 
would agree with him in congratulating themselves 
in being waited upon by a deputation of that people 
who were to spread our name and fame, and our lan- 
guage and customs, and our religion, over that vast 
continent. (Applause.) If, in the future, any jealousy 
should be excited on the part of the one nation to- 
ward the other, when that time came, he thought that 
country, which was so great and so powerful, would 
look back to and respect the country to which it 



92 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

owed its name and existence, and which, though 
comparatively small and feeble, was the land to which 
it ow^ed its origin, and from which it derived its 
greatness. He congratulated the members of the 
American party, in the name of the citizens of Ed- 
inburgh, upon their arrival here; and begged to 
offer them a most cordial welcome, and to say how 
proud we were of the visit they had paid us, and 
how happy we were in having the honor of their 
presence. (Applause.) IsTothing we could do to 
show them how hearty we were in joining with 
them in onecommoncausefor the advancement of re- 
ligion should be wanting, or in giving them a cordial 
welcome both in public and in private. (Applause.) 
Mr. John Cook said that since he had previously 
visited Edinburgh he had encompassed the world, 
and he now supplemented his previous work by 
bringing a party of Americans on a tour to the 
principal places on the continent of Europe. There 
w^ere on the platform three generations of Cooks — 
(laughter) — and when the first passed away, he 
hoped the second and third would still carry on the 
work he had commenced among the mountains and 
lakes, and the islands of the west of Scotland. He 
felt proud to have been the means of bringing to- 
gether that body of American citizens to receive the 
welcome of the citizens of Edinburgh — (applause) — 
and he begged to propose that a hearty vote of 
thanks be accorded to the Lord Provost, who had 
kindly come forward, though at a late moment, and 
to Mr. Thomas Knox, for the kind interest they had 
taken in the meeting. (Cheers.) 

[Editorial from the Heview.'] 

Our American Visitors. — Our American visitors 
must not complain that we have taken up part of 
their brief opportunity for sight-seeing in Edinburgh 
by interviewing them in the lecture-hall of the 



The Edrcational Party in Edinburgh. 93 

Science and Art Museum. We could not let them 
pass from our city without taking some friendly no- 
tice of them. There was no time between our 
hearing of them and their arrival to organize such 
a reception as we would like to have given them; 
and that being so, they will, we hope, take it as a 
compliment that we introduced them in this old 
country to the ceremony of an interview and ex- 
change of speeches. That is peculiarly an American 
institution, and as such it was the expedient which 
appeared to be most suitable for giving them a wel- 
come, and making them feel themselves at home. 
Our Yankee cousins, moreover, are all born orators; 
it is easier for any one of them to make a speech 
than to let it alone, so we did not apprehend that in 
giving some of them an opportunity to "orate" we 
were inflicting upon them the annoyance which the 
more taciturn Briton sometimes feels under that 
ordeal. Most heartily will the whole community or 
Edinburgh indorse all the words of welcome ad- 
dressed to our visitors on Saturday-night by the 
Lord Provost, and other citizens. The parent has 
no jealousy of the increasing strength and intelli- 
gence of the child, and we may be permitted to 
look upon the great body of American citizens as 
bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh. If they 
should "rive the bonnet" of their father, John Bull 
and Brither Sandy will look on with complacency. 
In all human probability they must increase while 
we — comparatively at least — decrease. Every right- 
hearted Briton will care less for that than for the 
channel in which the future might and influence of 
the great American Kepublic is to be directed. 
They got a good start in the world. The old Puri- 
tan stock of England is the tap-root from which 
American life has grown; and how much the United 
States owes to that providential arrangement it 
would not be #sy to estimate. The citizens of the 



94 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

States have had the farther benefit of large infusions 
of Scotch and Irish blood from generation to gene- 
ration ; and that makes not a bad cross with the 
original stock of the Pilgrim Fathers — we speak, 
of course, of north country Irishmen ; the native 
Irish element is of doubtful advantage. It was 
pleasant to hear from Mr. Witherspoon, and Pro- 
fessor Gushing, ,on Saturday-night, that their coun- 
trymen had not forgotten their descent, and that 
they find a trip to this country very much like a 
visit to the old folks at home. That is one of the 
reasons for which we welcome our American breth- 
ren. They have the same hereditary interest in our 
history, our literature, our struggles for civil and re- 
ligious freedom that we have ourselves ; and the 
quickening of this community of sentiment and 
sympathy is a precious outcome of American visits 
to our shores. We have no doubt one and all of 
Mr. Cook's excursion party will return to their 
countrymen with the assurance that the heart of the 
old country beats in unison with theirs, in desiring 
and working for the progress of civilization, enlight- 
enment, libert}^ and Christianity all the world over. 
And we could hardly have conceived of a company 
of American tourists whose friendly feeling toward 
us is of more consequence. More than half of the 
one hundred and fifty are practical teachers; others 
are journalists, and almost all are among the educa- 
tors of their country. Their direct influence extends 
over hundreds of thousands of their compatriots, 
and their indirect influence it would be impossible 
to compute. Most glad we shall be if — as we believe 
to be the case — they are able to report that they 
have found the people of Scotland, and of Britain, 
not jealous, but proud of the greatness of the 
United States, and desirous of showing their respect 
and attachment to the utmost. The more they 
know of us we are sure they will beifcthe more con- 



The Educational Party in Edinburgh. 95 

vinced that they have our heartiest wishes for their 
welfare and prosperity. That is not always the 
opinion the rising generation of America receive 
about us from their school histories, but even the}' — 
to the extent of the influence of the teachers of Mr. 
Cook's party — will, we believe, learn to judge us 
more charitably, and not to visit the sins of the 
fathers upon the repentant children. But if, as we 
believe, our American friends have something to 
learn from us, and about us, we have certainly 
something to learn from them. " Scrape a Russian," 
said Napoleon I, "and you will find a Tartar." 
Scrape a Yankee, we may add, and you will find an 
Englishman or a Scotchman. When we listen, not 
to the anti-British diatribes of a section of the 
American press, but to the honest opinion of intel- 
ligent and candid American citizens, we always 
find, as we found in the speeches of Professor Gushing 
and Mr. Witherspoon, that they have a warm cor- 
ner in their hearts for the land of their fathers. 
"We venture to say that our visitors of the last 
three days know more about the history and tradi- 
tions of Scotland than not a few educated people 
among ourselves; and that they glow with enthusi- 
asm in presence of scenes, and in memory of asso- 
ciations which have too little power over the masses 
of our own population. We may learn from them 
to prize more highly, and improve more zealously, 
the noble heritage patriotic Scotchmen in Church 
and State have left us. And we may learn from 
them, too, that when the-time comes — as probably 
it will — when there shall be another and greater 
struggle than the world has yet seen between the 
champions of freedom and the abettors of despo- 
tism, in both kinds, civil and religious, Britain, 
wiiich must be in the thick of it, will not look in 
vain for the powerful aid of the United States of 
America. 



96 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 



CHAPTER VII. 

A trip from London to Antwerp — A look about the ancient city. 

Antwerp, Belgium, July 10, 1873. 

"We left London at 4 p.m. yesterday for this place. 
Having been there five days sight-seeing, we felt re- 
lieved to get away. 

We took the Great Eastern Railway to Harwich, 
about eighty miles. This country is not of the kind 
from Liverpool to London. That was densely set- 
tled, this but sparsely. It is a fine country for hay 
and small grain, and every part of it sown down, 
with scarcely a tree, only along the hedge-rows ; but 
the houses are scattering compared with other parts 
of England. Some farm-houses scattered along the 
way were all that we saw, except a few towns of but 
little importance. 

The ship on which we came over was an inferior 
one, with but little accommodation. There was 
scarcely room for us, even on and under the table, 
to sleep. The channel was smooth, and we slept 
awhile comfortably. Sooft in the morning we enter 
the river Scheldt, on which this city is situated. 
It is several miles wide for some distance. As we 
ascend, it becomes narrow, until it resembles the 
Mississippi. For some distance it looks very much 
like the coast above ISTew Orleans. Instead of the 
sugar-cane they have the rushes growing luxuriantly. 
As we approach the city we see a large fort, with 



From London to Antwerp. 97 

many cannon pointed out toward the river, looking 
very warlike. The number of soldiers we see over 
the city indicates that they keep prepared for de- 
fense. 

The custom-house officers come aboard and ex- 
amine our baggage, which has been very much re- 
duced since we left London, as we are only allowed 
fifty pounds on the Continent. This farce over, we 
fill up inside, and cover over outside, the omnibuses 
waiting for us. A brush and a wash, and, with con- 
ductor and guide, we are off to see the great cathe- 
dral, of magnificent architecture, near by our Hotel 
de Europe. This is one of the oldest and largest 
churches in the world. It was commenced early in 
the year 1400. It is said that one of its towers is 
the highest and most delicately-finished in the world. 
The clock and bells together chime sweet music 
every half hour, and every hour pla}^ a fine piece of 
music, heard, I suppose, all over the city. From 
here we went to the museum, on.e of the finest col- 
lections of paintings in Europe. It is especiallj^ rich 
in the works of Rubens, Vandyke, and other Flemish 
artists. There were several of the crucifixion, very 
impressive. It was very extensive, containing sev- 
eral large rooms filled with paintings. We then went 
to see the silk manufactory. It is woven in the old- 
fashioned "fly-shuttle" loom by hand. 'No machin- 
ery whatever is used in its manufacture. The ladies 
examined the goods, and thought them ver}^ cheap; 
but when the duty of sixty per cent, and the difier- 
ence in money is added, it makes the cost nearly as 
much as in the United States. We return to the 
hotel to dine at 5 o'clock. Nine courses are run 
through in an hour and a half, and yet not a very 
hearty meal at that — for every thing a separate plate, 
except, I believe, for potatoes, which were about the 
size of common marbles. Captain D. and myself 
took their only street railway, to see the suburbs of 
5 



98 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

this Belgian city. Having a few coppers left, we 
paid our way out to a fine park, small but tasty, 
fitted up for beer-drinking, music, etc. On our re- 
turn we hand the conductor some English silver. 
He shakes his head and passes on. The car is filled 
with ladies, chattering like a flock of black-birds, 
and by us as little understood. The conductor re- 
turns after awhile, and we try to get him to take 
our fare in silver. One of the ladies says to us: 
"He says you must go away," and out we got to 
walk to the hotel, if we could find it. We had not 
proceeded far before we saw people going into a 
large church, and we enter the finest we ever saw. 
Indeed, I have never seen any building finished so 
gorgeously — gilding, glittering walls, ceilings, col- 
umns, altars, with such an amount of decoration as 
I never saw any thing to compare with before. A 
minister was perched up in the air, near the center, 
preaching away, as I suppose, ver}^ eloquently, but 
it was all Dutch to me. Yet I was intensely inter- 
ested. His manner was so earnest, his zeal so fer- 
vent, and the vast crowd so deeply in sympathy with 
him, that we were captivated with what we heard 
and saw all around us. All at once he stopped, and 
the audience arose to their feet; many of them 
rushed to the altar in the far end, prostrating them- 
selves before it, while the two large organs in the 
other end of the church, and the choir, discoursed 
such music as never fell upon our ears before. A 
grand concert, it seemed, was given, and we staid 
till it was over. During this time the audience 
knelt in their chairs, with their heads and arms rest- 
ing on a board on the top of them. I, too, knelt in 
one for a time to see how it was done, and to prac- 
tice what to me was a new form of worship. The 
priests were dressed in long black robes, down to 
the floor. We have seen quite a number of such on 
the streets, but have not learned as yet what church 



Put off the Street-car. 99 

they are. This worship was the grandest affair I ever 
saw, and when I learn what it was I may tell you. 

How to find our way to the hotel is now the ques- 
tion. We start off in the direction. The narrow, 
crooked streets and tall houses soon destroy our idea 
of locality; but we go on, as we think, in the direc- 
tion. We niake inquiries; they shake their heads, 
and laugh. We laugh too, but still feel very different 
from what they do. I thought then they certainly 
could understand Hotel de Europe, and so I asked, 
pointing my finger, and they understood it, and 
pointed theirs, and, after making these experiments, 
we found our way to the hotel at 10 o'clock, enjoy- 
ing our walk very much. And thus ends our first 
day on the Continent. 



Sights and impressions in Belgium and Grermany — Experience 
in Brussels and Cologne — Habits and occupation of the 
people — The great Cathedral and other objects of interest, 

Cologne, Prussia, July 12, 1873. 

I wrote you hurriedly at Antwerp, giving an ac- 
count of my first day on the Contineut, without 
having time to look over it. I mounted the top of 
an omnibus, w^ith several others, that we might have 
a better view. In an open place, between a quarter 
and a half mile long by some sixty to eighty j^ards 
wide, was the vegetable market. It was almost lit- 
erally filled with women selling and buying vegeta- 
bles. They were a niotley crowd, such as I had 
never seen before. We were all interested in this 
our last sight-seeing in Antwerp. 

We take the carriages, as they call the cars here, 
much on the English style, with from four to eight 
persons locked up together. The distance to Brus- 
sels is only twent3^-eight miles through a low,flat, rich 
country in a high state of cultivation. Arriving at 



100 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

the capital, eacTi party is soon off to see the sights. 
Having met with some young men who came over in 
the Canada with us, who had been there several days, 
and proffered their services, we availed ourselves of 
them several hours. We pass along through the Ar- 
cade, filled with all sorts of things to sell, to Cook's 
ofiice, Avhere we procure aid in our work of ex- 
ploration. 

The Cathedral, City Hall, Palace of the Duke, 
Museum, boulevards, halls of justice, etc., etc., are 
the principal places to see. We go from one to the 
other as fast as we are able to examine them; but a 
description of them is out of the question now. 
We ascend the tower, from the top of which there 
is a fine view of the whole city, with its massive 
buildings, and boulevards encircling it. The king's 
palace is a very large building, but nothing like 
Buckingham, in London. The park, too, is on a 
much smaller scale. The Hotel de Yille (the town- 
hall) and Grand Place are magnificent. The Place 
des Martyrs, where there is a monument containing 
the remains of the patriots killed during the revolu- 
tion of September, 1830, is full of melancholy in- 
terest. The statue of Leopold I., on the Column 
du Congres, is very fine. In the Museum we saw 
the skeleton of a whale over sixty feet long, and be- 
tween its ribs from nine to ten feet, making room 
for several persons to be domiciled. 

Brussels is not only the capital of Belgium, but 
the most important city in the kingdom. It is 
nearly in the center of one of the richest and most, 
highly cultivated countries in Europe. The people 
here are much more refined than those at Antwerp, 
judging from their appearance. The city is partl}^ 
situated on a little river called the Seine, a tributary 
of the Scheldt. Its origin is not known. Its name 
is mentioned as far back as 706, and was a town of 
considerable importance in the tenth century. The 



Belgian History. 101 

French language and manners have been predom- 
inant since the lifteenth century. 

Manufactures. — There are extensive manufactories 
of cloths, carpets, silks, and lace. We visited the 
latter, and were surprised at the costliness of it. 
It is made by hand. One piece we observed con- 
tained ^YQ hundred threads used in the netting. 
Those who make it get from thirty to forty cents per 
day for their labor. The city contains one hundred 
and forty lace manufactories and seventy retail 
lace-merchants. We are now where he who shook 
Europe as an earthquake, dethroning kings and 
making princes, moved with such unparalleled suc- 
cess. Antwerp was his principal sea-port, through 
which he received supplies, and upon which he ex- 
pended so much money, improving its harbor. 

Belgium was incorporated with France for twenty 
years. On the 1st of February, 1814, the allied 
troops arrived in their turn, and Belgium was given 
to Prince William of Orange; ]N"assau to the new 
King of the ITetherlands. The battle of Waterloo, 
twelve miles from Brussels, gained by Wellington 
and Blucher over the French army, put an end to 
the reign of IN'apoleon, and established for a time 
the union of Belgium with Holland. But the in- 
trigues of the Southern Princes against the Dutch 
Government produced the revolution which broke 
out on the 24th and 25th of August in Brussels, and 
to which Belgium owes its nationality. The National 
Congress voted the most liberal constitution of the 
Continent of Europe, and on the 21st of July, 1831, 
Prince Leopold was inaugurated First King of the 
Belgians. In July, 1856, the twenty-lifth anniver- 
sary of the event was celebrated throughout Belgium 
with the greatest solemnity. Leopold died on the 
10th of December, 1865, and his son and successor, 
Leopold II., took the oath of office and was inaugu- 
rated the 17th of December, in the same year. The 



102 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

kingdom has a population of over five millions; 
Brussels, one hundred and seventy-one thousand 
three hundred and seventy-seven on the first of 
January, 1870. The court, the militia, and a portion 
of the middle classes use the French language. I 
find our professors of French are not able to learn 
much from the people. Some very amusing inci- 
dents have occurred with us, showing that "book 
French" does not pass here. The present king, 
Leopold II., was born in Brussels, in 1835, and is a 
nephew of Louis Philippe, King of the French. He 
was married to Princess Maria Henrietta, of Aus- 
tria, in 1^53. Thus he and his wife are of "royal 
blood," and have a nice little fertile kingdom of 
Belgians, with an army of forty thousand, and eight 
thousand eight hundred horses. 

Street Scenes. — By the way, they have the largest 
horses, and they haul the heaviest loads, I ever saw 
anywhere. Their wagon wheels are very low, but 
very heavy, with tires about one inch thick, and 
they carry with one horse what w^e do with four. 
Their hacks, 'buses, and other vehicles, have only 
one horse. Smaller ones are hauled by men and 
dogs geared up, which are as true to pull as any 
thing I ever saw. The women work in the fields, 
sweep the streets, and do almost any thing, even to 
work side by side with a big dog, pulling a cart- 
load. All these people drink beer; many of them, 
the higher classes, wine, in the open air. On the 
streets, and almost everywhere, you see tables set, 
where during the day, but mostly in the evenings, 
thousands of them congregate to drink and chat, 
men, women, boys, and girls, all together, as happy 
as they want to be, seemingly. I have not seen a 
man intoxicated in the least since I have been over 
on this side of the ocean. 

We left Brussels this morning, satisfied that we 
had seen all that was worth staying to see. We go 



From Brussels to Cologne. 103 

on the morning train for this place, about one hun- 
dred and sixty miles. The country for some fifty 
miles is rich and well cultivated; generally level. 
In the vicinity of Liege it is more broken, and 
beautifully picturesque. Here are large iron manu- 
factories; then for some distance farming on a more 
extensive scale, w\th. larger fields, but still sown 
down in small patches of every size. There are 
but few hedges now to be seen. As we approach 
Cologne, as far as the eye can see there seems to be 
vast fields of grain nearly ready for harvesting. We 
arrive at 4 p.m., dine at 5:30, and soon are ofi' to 
see the great Cathedral, which, when completed, 
will be the grandest Gothic church in the world. 
But when that will be no one can tell, as it was be- 
gun in 1248. The towers are yet unfinished, but 
are to be five hundred feet high. The interior is 
four hundred and forty-eight feet long, and one 
hundred and forty-nine feet broad; the south portal 
two hundred and thirty-four feet high. I am tired 
looking at cathedrals, yet they are the places to 
which we are told to go to see the wonders of Europe. 

Sunday in Cologne. — I heard the sweet sound of 
music in a church near us, and arose to go again; 
found an audience on their knees; and as I am on 
my way to Kome to do as "Kome does," I knelt on 
the chair and took a view of what was before me — 
"Christ Blessino; the Children." 

Breakfast over, we go to church again at the 
grand Cathedral, to see the worship and hear the 
music. Then to the Church of St. Ursula, of the 
twelfth century, which is reputed to hold the bones 
of the eleven thousand virgins martyred by the 
Huns. These remains are worked in the walls in a 
species of sepulchral Mosaic, and exhibited at every 
available part of the church. We looked upon them 
with sadness — first at their sacrifice, if it be so, and 
then at the folly of preserving such relics in a 



104 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

cburcli. But churcLes, music, paintings, wine and 
beer, seem, to be the all-absorbing things here. We 
go through the narrow, winding streets to the Eng- 
lish church, in a room about twenty-two feet square; 
seventy-six persons present, half of them our party; 
service one hour; then a sermon one-quarter, and 
we are out again with the crowd in the streets; the 
stores open; business going on as on other days. 
As we have dinner at 5:30 p.m., we go to the mu- 
seum of paintings with the crowd. Some of these 
were very fine — more modern than an}^ we had seen. 

I judge there must be a large military force here, 
from the number and kind of uniforms w^e see 
everywhere; guns are firing and soldiers marching, 
looking quite warlike; they are a fine-looking body 
of men. We are now on the far-famed Rhine. One 
very wide iron bridge, and one pontoon bridge, sup- 
ported by some forty boats, span the river. The 
mountains around, seen from our (Belleview) hotel, 
covered with fields and mansions, look sublimely 
beautiful; but the smoke from the chimneys of the 
manufactories show that the Sabbath-da}^ is dese- 
crated by this people; yet the church-going bells 
are continually sounding, calling those who are dis- 
posed to worship every hour. We, too, have had 
our worship in the reading-room of the hotel. 

And with this I close my first Sabbath on the Con- 
tinent. We go up the Rhine early in the morning. 

Cologne and the Rhine. — This city is in a semi- 
circle of about seven miles in circumference, of 
which the Rhine is the cord. The length of the in- 
ner line is about two miles. A native settlement of 
great antiquity by the Romans, into the Colonia. 
The Cathedral was founded in 1322. On the 24th 
of August, 1349, the houses of the Jews resident at 
Cologne were set on fire, and the greater part of 
these unfortunates, with their families, perished in 
the flames. ]!^ot for this act of cruelty, but on ac- 



Cologne and the Khine. 105 

count of its rebellious conduct toward the arch- 
bishops, Cologne remained under the ban of the 
Church and the empire till 1377. The Eeformation 
produced fresh disturbances, and in 1685 more than 
fourteen hundred families were forced to quit the 
town. The French took possession of it in 1794. 
Three years later it was incorporated into the French 
republic, and at the peace of 1814 it was made over 
to Prussia. The Cathedral is the great lion of the 
place. It is the largest Gothic church in the world. 
The ground on which it stands was once a Roman 
fortress. It is thirty-three feet above the Rhine. 
The first cathedral was commenced in 748; was 
completed in eighty-nine years, and dedicated to the 
Apostle St. Peter. It was destroyed by fire in 1248. 
The edifice is four hundred and forty feet long by 
one hundred and fifty wide. It has one hundred 
and tw^o columns, Rve and a-half feet in diameter, 
stained-glass windows, forty-eight feet in length by 
sixteen feet wide. In the church are many remark- 
able monuments, and some very fine paintings. It 
is intended that the towers shall attain an elevation 
of five hundred and twenty-five, but when they will 
be finished none can tell. They are still working 
on it. One of the most imposing edifices is the 
Church of the Apostles. The artillery barracks 
occupy a building that was once a monastery, and 
the ecclesiastical seminary is in the ancient College 
of the Jesuits. The residence of the first and sec- 
ond commandants, the main guard of the city, is 
said to date back to the Romans. The upper por- 
tion was erected in 1262, is one hundred feet high, 
and is a military prison. We saw more soldiers 
there than we had seen anj^where, indeed a large 
proportion of the men were in uniform. The 
bridge of boats across the Rhine is one hundred 
and twenty-five feet long, and is a great thorough- 
fare between the two portions of the city. The 
5* 



106 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

iron railway bridge is also much frequented by pe- 
destrians. Cologne is a place of great commercial 
activity. There are about two hundred wholesale 
and commission houses, and about seven hundred 
retail houses, exclusive of wine, grain, and wool 
dealers, and the book and print sellers. It has a 
number of manufactories in the city and surround- 
ing country. Previous to its being incorporated 
with the Prussian territories it had only about forty 
thousand inhabitants; now it has over one hundred 
thousand, besides the little town opposite with five 
thousand, encompassed with fortifications. From 
here to Mayence is perhaps the most intensely in- 
teresting scenery, with the most thrilling history 
of any in the world. I shall never forget the day we 
spent on the steamer Emperor of German}-, going 
up the Rhine one hundred and twenty miles, stopping 
at many places. Some of these I propose to notice. 
Bonn is twenty miles distant. There was a town 
here before the Christian era; both town and for- 
tress were demolished by the Germans about the 
middle of the fourth century. Ten buildings are 
devoted to public worship — eight to the Catholic, 
one to the Protestant, and one to the Jews. The 
most remarkable of these is the Cathedral, which is 
said to owe its origin to a Church founded A.D. 
316, by St. Helena. It has a bronze statue of St. 
Helena, cast in Italy, in the seventeenth century. 
The present edifice dates from the twelfth century. 
It has four towers, a temple of Mars having been 
near it. The most remarkable building here is the 
University, one thousand two hundred and eighty 
feet in length (about a quarter of a mile), with three 
hundred lecture-rooms and halls, with a library of 
one hundred thousand volumes. In an old house 
w^ith pointed gable, on the Rhine street, Beethoven 
was born, 1776, and passed the years of his youth 
there. He died in 1827. 



Ok the Rhine. 107 

Siegberg is a town of two thousand inhabitants. 
Here lived the king whose daughter married Armi- 
nias, who conquered the Romans. Here is a large 
lunatic asylum, two hundred feet high, and in a ro- 
mantic, healthy place. 

Godesberg is a lovely place in summer, with 
pleasure-grounds. Here was a Roman watch-tower; 
near the tower is a chapel of the seventeenth cen- 
tury. A short distance above is a monument 
erected in honor of those who fell at the passage of 
the Rhine, in 1814, and is one of the most celebrated 
in Europe. There are mountains some twelve hun- 
dred to thirteen hundred feet high, with romantic 
scenery, and an old castle, once a place of much in- 
terest. 

Remagen has three thousand inhabitants. The 
market frontier is composed of relics of antiquity. 
Then comes Erpel, with twelve hundred. Then on 
to Linz, with two thousand seven hundred. Here 
are slate factories, iron-works, and other manufacto- 
ries. The place is very ancient. Sinzig, with two 
thousand, is one of the most ancient places on the 
Rhine, having been a Roman stronghold. The 
father of Charlemas^ne created several documents 
that are still extant at this place. A monastic nun- 
nery was erected, and a chapel by the Empress 
Helena. An ancient church here is built in the 
form of a cross. 

According to the altarpiece it was here that Con- 
stantine beheld the cross in the heavens; of this 
nothing is certainl}' known. A curiosity is exhibited 
here of a Christian mummy, to which the name of 
Yogt has been given. In former years it used to be 
carried about in the carnival procession, decked out 
in tawdry finery. The French carried it to Paris, 
when it was returned in 1815. All along the banks 
are towns, villages, and old castles on the moun- 
tains, in glowing grandeur, demonstrating that this 



108 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

country has been the most important strategic 
point in Europe for many ages. There Julius Cesar 
commanded his legions, and here Kapoleon I. moved 
with such alacrity as to astonish and bewilder his 
enemies, as well as conquer them. 

Andreneah is a town of three thousand five hun- 
dred inhabitants. This place is very ancient, even 
fifty or sixty years before Christ. Seven fairs are 
held here annually. Fine yards abound here, ex- 
tending at times from the water's edge to the sum- 
mits of the mountains. 

Lake of Laach, the crater of an extinct volcano, 
the termination of whose activity is supposed to be 
four thousand years ago. The lava-pits are upward 
of two hundred feet deep, and the thickness varies 
from three hundred to four hundred feet deep. The 
lake has twelve hundred and thirty-five acres, and 
is two hundred and eighteen feet deep. Here was 
an old castle and monaster}^ A fine church has 
been restored by the King of Prussia. 

JSTewied has six thousand two hundred inhabitants, 
including all professions. The town is divided into 
twenty-five blocks, five streets lengthwise, with four 
cross streets. The palace in which the prince resides 
was completed in 1722, and connects wnth the castle 
garden, in which is the residence of the celebrated 
Brazilian traveler. Prince Maximilian, and of his 
brother, Prince Charles, and here also are the meet- 
ing-houses of American preachers, and a synagogue. 

Coblence owes its origin to a Roman fort. It re- 
tained its sovereignty for over eight hundred years. 
The French emigrants made it their head-qnarters 
in 1791. The town was occupied by the Republican 
troops, and was soon after incorporated in the French 
territories, in the beginning of 1814, and by the 
Congress of Vienna made over to Prussia, together 
with the Rhine Province. At that time the popula- 
tion was seven hundred ; it now numbers two thou- 



Ehenish Towns. 109 

sand eight hundred, exclusive of five thousand 
soldiers distributed among the various fortifications. 
There are eight Catholic churches, one Protestant, 
and one synagogue. The Electoral Palace was 
built between 1778 and 1781. It is five hundred and 
twenty-five feet in length, and three stories high; 
that portion of the edifice which projects in a horse- 
shoe form, has a longitudinal diameter of three 
hundred and eighty-five feet. The apartments re- 
cently fitted up for the reception of royalty are of 
handsome proportions, and delightfully situated to- 
ward the Rhine. 

St. Goar, with a population of one thousand seven 
hundred, ow^es its name to him who settled here in 
575 to inculcate the doctrines of Christianity. The 
cell once inhabited by the holy man became a church 
of pilgrimage, out of the ruins of which the present 
Protestant church arose in 1469. In it there are 
several monuments. 

Oberwesel contains three thousand three hundred 
inhabitants. The ancient town wall was three 
thousand four hundred and seventj'-five feet in 
length. The rotund battlements, gates, and turrets, 
present a very picturesque subject. An extensive 
castle is still in existence, which belongs to Prince 
Albert of Prussia. 

Caub, with two thousand inhabitants, at the foot 
of a steep hill, on a rock}^ projection of which is 
situated a castle. The town took its rise in the 
eighth century. In 1805 this castle was in a good 
state of preservation, but Napoleon, in his passage 
over the Rhine, having been saluted by cannon-balls 
from its battlements, gave orders for its immediate 
demolition. 

Just above, at Bacharack, is a small ancient town 
of one thousand five hundred souls. Here is a castle 
now owned by the Queen of Prussia. Its walls are 
fourteen feet thick. During the thirty years' war it 



110 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

was taken eight times. Here also is a Protestant 
church which formerly belonged to the Knight 
Templars. It was built in the tenth century, and is 
in a very remarkable style. There are many other 
places of interest, with castles away up on the moun- 
tains, some of them having been there over two 
thousand years. Take this country altogether, it is 
the most romantic, the most sublime and magnifi- 
cent, there is in the world. It possesses more his- 
toric interest than any other. The most powerful 
nations of the world have here met in mortal com- 
bat for its possession. For thousands of years it 
has been the scene of the most fearful conflicts, 
while the waters of this classic river have been crim- 
soned with the blood of thousands who live in the 
annals of history, and whose names have been handed 
down to posterity as the world's conquerors. 

jSTo one who visits Europe should fail to see the 
Hhine. They will be amply compensated for the 
time and money expended viewing these time-hon- 
ored places, where the world's heroes have performed 
deeds of valor along the banks of this most interest- 
ing of all the rivers of Europe. 



From Cologne to Munich — The Ehine and its marvelous beau- 
ties — How railroads are run in Germany — The people and 
their habits — A day in Mayence — Guttenberg's statue — 
Munich and its attractions, etc., etc. 

Munich, Bavaria, July 15, 1873. 

My last was written from Cologne, where we spent 
the Sabbath. It is the capital of the province, and 
the first walled city we have seen. It is in the form 
of a crescent, about seven miles around it. It was a 
Roman colony, and takes its name from that fact. 
During the middle ages, and for a long period, it 
was one of the most populous cities in Europe. 



EoMANTic Scenery op the Rhine. Ill 

Monday morning, after visiting the barracks and 
seeing the soldiers parade — among them Bismarck's 
regiment of cavalry — we cross on the pontoon 
bridge, and take the finest boat on the river, called 
the Emperor of German}-, for Mayence, some one 
hundred and twenty miles above, at the head of steam 
navigation. I have heard much of the scenery of 
the Rhine, but it far exceeded my most sanguine 
expectations. For about twenty miles, to Bonn, the 
land is low, with some fine buildings seen in the 
distance; but after we pass that place, the moun- 
tains on either side, rising higher as we ascend, 
present the beautifully grand, not excelled, perhaps, 
in the world. For a while we were inclined to 
think the scenery of the Hudson equally grand, but 
soon every one acknowledged there was no com- 
parison. There is an amphitheater of undulating 
heights, with imposing piles of old citadels, some 
of them dating back before the Christian era, that 
bewilders the imagination. The bold summits and 
picturesque outlines, and the luxuriant, vine-clad, 
terraced hills, utterly defy description — so I shall 
not attempt it. Just to think of some of these old 
forts, which have been here since the days of Julius 
Cesar, and the countless millions who have lived, 
fought, and died along these banks, and see the nu- 
merous old castles, "grand, gloomy, and peculiar," 
upon the summits of those mountains overlooking 
the Rhine, and then think of Napoleon's rapid 
marches across this stream, affords food for thought 
more impressive than any I have ever seen. Some 
of these old castles have been rebuilt, and are now 
owned and occupied as summer resorts for royalty. 
We spent the day on deck, with our guides, glasses, 
and photographs procured at Cologne, viewing what 
has iDeen for more than two thousand years one 
of the most important strategic countries on the 
globe. 



112 A Memphian's Trip to Europe; 

We arrived at Mayence after nightfall; sleep 
awhile, and as we have but a few hours there, we are 
off early to see the city, which is lost in a haze of 
antiquity. It was once a lioman fortress, and is 
now strongly fortified. The town and fortress were 
surrendered to the allies on the 14th of May, 1814. 
Its population is now only forty-four thousand, and 
a garrison of eight thousand Prussian soldiers. 

As usual, the old cathedral is the first object of 
interest. There is a gloomy grandeur about it. 
The red sandstone of which it is built is yielding to 
time's influence, and they are repairing a portion of 
it. It was founded in the eighth century, and it is 
said that no church in Germany contains so many 
monuments and epitaphs as this. 

But I am now out with these, and turn away 
from them to one of far more interest to me than 
any that I have ever seen. It is the monument to 
Guttenberg, the inventor of that art by which my 
hasty scribbling, while my company is reposing in 
the arms of Morpheus, can be deciphered by you, 
perhaps, Mr. Printer, and given to the readers of 
the Avalanche some of these mornings. Yes, here 
he was born, here he was brought up — the house 
still stands near the hotel — and here he invented 
"the art preservative of all arts." I felt a profound 
veneration for the man as I gazed upon the statue, 
and transcribed the following inscription from his 
monument: "An art which neither the Greeks nor 
the Romans understood, the genius of a German 
found out; and whatsoever the ancients knew, and 
the moderns know, is not for himself, but for all 
mankind." On one side of the monument is a 
printing-press, and the discoverer reading the proof; 
on the other this: "The citizens of Mayence erected 
this monument to Guttenberg by money collected 
throughout Europe. Erected in 1837." 

We visited the vegetable market, which, as usual, 



E-AILROADS OF GERMANY. 113 

is attended only by women, out in the open air, and 
somd" other places; but soon we are off for Munich, 
at 10 o'clock. 

The country is variegated for the two hundred 
and seventy-nine miles we travel to-day, all in a fine 
state of cultivation. Here we see orchards, vine- 
yards, old castles, modern fortifications, rifle-pits, 
etc. — all looks warlike. The women seem to do the 
work, the men the fighting. Along the Danube the 
land is very fertile. 

My sheet is full, and I will suspend until I can see 
something of this capital before I conclude. 

Wednesday. — We slept a few hours in a regular 
German bed, taking off the feather-bed used as a 
covering. We have a fine view of a park and mon- 
uments from our windows. 

Having a few moments, I wish to say a few words 
about the railroads of this country. I have seen 
none of wider gauge than four feet; that seems to 
be the width of all. They run about fifteen to 
twenty-five miles per hour, and make but few stops. 
Their carriages are English style, for six or eight 
persons. Ever}^ mile there is a telegraph ofiice, and 
a man always on duty. As the train passes he 
raises his hand to his hat to let it be known that all 
is right ahead. 

Sights in Munich. — At 7 o'clock a.m., soon after 
breakfast, we went out, with a guide, to see all we 
could in one day. First, to the collection of statu- 
ary from various countries, ancient and modern, 
embracing many men who have distinguished them- 
selves by their works in history. A mere mention 
of their names would be tedious. The most mag- 
nificent buildings have been erected for them, fin- 
ished off' in the most exquisite modern style of 
architecture, and decorations of the most gorgeous 
character. 

We then go to the public galleries of paintings. 



114 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. / 

In the first room we find a large painting of Maxi- 
milian Emmanuel I. ; Maximilian, King of Bavaria; 
Theodor, and others. " The Crucifixion," " Taking 
Down from the Cross," etc., in several pictures, were 
very impressive. "The Apostles," as it is supposed 
they looked, are painted in the most life-like man- 
ner. "John's Eevelations," in the Isle of Patmos, 
with the river and tree of life, and the hanging 
fruits, were very fine. The "Last Judgment" was 
terrific. There were some fifteen huiidred, in per- 
haps twenty or more rooms, selected from the finest 
paintings in the world, collected here. This being 
the capital of Bavaria, King Louis I. has made a 
thousand costly improvements, and it now rivals 
Paris and Eome as a repository of art. 

The next place we visit is the Royal Palace. It is 
open for visitors from 11 to 12 o'clock; but our 
party, being from America, w^ere permitted to go 
after the crowd had gone, and look through all the 
apartments, ancient as well as modern. The king 
being absent, we went into his private as well as 
his public State apartments. The great Splendor 
Throne room, with its noble historic bronze statues, 
fine pictures and frescoes, is said to be one of the 
finest collections in the world. In the ancient por- 
tion were many things that have had their day, and 
live only in the history of the past. There is the 
bed of Charles YIL, which bed cost over three hun- 
dred thousand dollars, currency. The tapestry took 
forty persons fifteen years to make it. The ball- 
room is one hundred and ten feet long by seventy- 
three broad, and is lighted by about a thousand 
candles. Such splendor dazzles the populace, and 
makes them venerate roj'alty. ISTapoleon spent one 
day here, when he suflfered himself to acknowledge 
the power of the Pope. He would not sleep on 
that fine bed, but slept on his own camp-bed in the 
palace. There are the portraits of thirty-six of the 



. Bronze Statues. 115 

most beautiful women of Bavaria here. This is the 
first time we have ever seen inside of royalty, ai]d 
I must confess that when the people have been 
brought up to it, there is something fascinating 
about it to them. 

These people take great pride in their bronze 
statue manufactory. After having seen so many of 
them, we felt like seeing them made, and, after 
spending considerable time at the palace, we took 
carriages and went to see them. The model of 
Washington, that stands in Washington Square, 
!N"ew York, was the first that attracted our attention. 
There were quite a number of American models — 
Benton, Peabody, and others whom we honor. They 
say the largest one ever made is the statue of "Ba- 
varia," sixty-six feet high. A lion of like proportions 
stands by her side. A bird has its nest in his 
mouth. Some three or four of us went up inside 
the statue. Others were there, and seven of us 
could stand in the neck. I felt like the author of a 
guide-book, advising others to keep out of it. 
Munich is the best-built city we have seen on the 
Continent. The streets in the new part are wide, 
and straight, with many public buildings, and 
grounds tastefully laid ofi:', and finely improved. It 
has a population of over two hundred thousand, 
and, though it has a king, is a part of the German 
Empire. 

The people are intelligent, refined, and (as all 
Germans are) fond of music. While I write a baud 
of one hundred instruments is playing not far away. 
I think they have about ten thousand soldiers here. 
They are seen wherever you go — finely uniformed, 
well equipped for their profession of arms. There 
is a beautiful little river running through the city, 
the Aar, afibrding immense water-power. We leave 
in the morning for Vienna, where we hope to meet 
friends from our Bluff City. 



116 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

From Munich to Vienna — Notes by the wayside — The Aus- 
trian Capital and the Exposition — Sights and improvements 
— Condition of the people of Europe — Something for Ameri- 
cans to think about — Some of the features of the great Ex- 
position — Sights and sight-seers. 

Vienna, Austria, July 19, 1873. 

"We left Municli Thursday morning for this place. 
The country through which we passed was more di- 
versified than any we have seen in Europe. For 
some fifty miles it was level, covered with a luxuri- 
ant crop of grass and grain, with vegetables. The 
people live in villages, and some of them must go 
miles to their work; one church usually in a vil- 
lage, all of olden-time appearance. At the railroad- 
stations there are buildings of more modern style. 
We pass over, or rather through, a mountainous 
region. Some of them very high ; green vegetation 
all over them, while on the northern sides the snow, 
glistening in the sunshine, presented a beautiful pic- 
ture for the artist, and might have inspired the 
spirit of poetry in our youthful days. 

Wayside Notes. — We pass through some timbered 
country, and then emerge again into fields of grain 
as far as we can see, ripe to the harvest. We see 
men at work in the fields to-day. The women with 
their broad sun-bonnets are there too, in great num- 
bers, at work. A rich scene occurred at a town 
where we passed from Bavaria into Austria. Our 
conductor thouofht he had made arrano:ements to 2:0 
through, near three hundred miles, without change 
of cars. We stopped for dinner on the line (re- 
member every one must take care of their own 
baggage in the cars, holding, some three, others six 
persons). They have, as usual, every thing in the 
car. About the time they got fairly at gobbling 
down a hasty lunch, it was announced we must 
change cars. A rush was made for them by a party 
of fifty of our company about half of them women; 



Immensity of Buildings. 117 

just at that time the train rolls off. It was amusing 
to see the effect produced: believing all would 
come out right, I enjoj^ed it hugely. After awhile 
the train returned, and all the baggage safe, and we 
are off on Austrian cars. 

In Vienna. — We got here about 11 p.m., found 
conveyances waiting for us, and soon we are going 
at a rapid speed, some miles, it seemed, to our mag- 
nificent Hotel de France. 

Early in the morning we are off for the Exposi- 
tion, by street-car. It is some two and a-half to 
three miles, through very wide streets some distance 
— the boulevards — then across the river, and in a 
magnificent park, of about one thousand acres, we 
find the World's Fair. There is no use in attempt- 
ing to describe it. This you have doubtless seen by 
others who had time that I have not. Just imagine 
the finest stores with their finest thrings ; the most 
extensive manufactories with their most costly fab- 
rics, and the machinery running by which they are 
made, actually at work in the building; the most 
valuable, as well as the most useful metals; the 
finest sculpture and paintings from Italy and other 
nations. In a word, the richest, rarest, and the 
most remarkable productions in material and man- 
ufactured goods that the nations of earth could 
produce are here on exhibition. Volumes might be 
filled with descriptions of them. 

The buildings are the largest of the kind that 
have ever been built. They exceed by far all pre- 
vious ones at London and Paris. Having visited 
the Crystal Palace the last day I spent in London, I 
should judge these buildings contain several times 
the space that does. That is mainly of glass, this is 
mostly of iron. This is one very long building, witli 
a central dome. The main gallery, or the nave, is 
intersected in the middle in two equal parts by the 
rotunda, which is the greatest circumference that 



118 A Memphian's Tkip to Europe. 

has ever been covered without pillars. "We went up 
on that and had a splendid view of the city and the 
surroundings. I stepped it, and found its circum- 
ference over a quarter of a mile. In the distance 
can be seen the battle-ground of "Wagram, where 
Napoleon fought one of his greatest battles. The 
charge of McDonald, with some sixteen thousand 
men, by which he lost all but one thousand, is one 
of the most remarkable in the history of this won- 
derful man. From this point we have a bird's-eye 
view of the nations of earth, as their houses are ar- 
ranged around the building. T am tired of ancient 
warlike things. What is the present condition of 
this people is a more important and practical ques- 
tion than to recount their deeds of valor, or look at 
the monuments intended to perpetuate their mem- 
ory. I think they are a more intellectual people 
than any we have seen since we left England, but 
morally I think they are deeply degraded. The first 
thing that I saw as I looked out of my window on 
Sabbath-morning was men turning a windlass to el- 
evate the brick upon a large building near at hand. 
The next was eight women making up mortar, some 
conveying it up in tubs for the masons, or rather 
emptying it in something to be carried up, and thus 
they have toiled on, desecrating the Sabbath, which 
seems to be only a holiday at every place we have 
been in Europe. No legal Sabbath is recognized 
anywhere that we have seen. They may have a 
religion, but I think it is mainly of imposing forms, 
and to us unmeaning ceremonials, while the practi- 
cal duties of morality and religion are ignored by 
the masses of the people of all classes. 

From all I can learn we have but few emigrants 
from Austria to the United States. I think the la- 
boring classes know but little of America, nor do I 
think their rulers intend that they shall learn much, 
only to toil on to keep up royalty and superstition. 



IsTo Legal Sabbath. 119 

The introcliiction of railroads, and the numl^er of 
American travelers, will, I think, have a tendency 
to turn the attention of this people to the ^ew 
World, about which, I think, they now hear but 
little. 

The women have a hard time of it all over this 
country. They labor hard in the cities, and do 
most of the work in the country. One reason, no 
doubt, is that so many men are required to keep 
their regular armies. 

This is the first Sabbath that we have not attended 
religious service several times. We knew of no 
place where any worship would be held that we 
could understand, so we made a virtue of necessity, 
and have made it a day of rest, which we all very 
much needed, as we have had a laborious week 
since we left Cologne. The last two days, for 
twelve consecutive hours each, we have been going 
through and around the Exposition, and we were 
tired down, and worn out w^ith it. 

To-morrow morning, at five o'clock, we start for 
Venice, to travel all day and night, to see the water 
city. As our traveling there will be along the 
streets, in gondolas, w^e anticipate some repose. I 
will say just here, that whoever comes to Europe 
expecting a pleasure trip will be disappointed. It 
is a hard task to perform, which I expected, but we 
have fine health, and are able to eat all they give us 
at the hotels, and more too. There has been quite 
a falling off, from our four or five meals a day on 
the ship, down to two, and they but small affairs at 
best. Labor is very cheap here, so they can afford 
to keep waiters for near two hours to hand around, 
in some ten or tw^elve courses, what a hungry man 
could eat in as many minutes; but after all we may 
learn an important lesson — to eat slowly. I believe 
most of these people live at the restaurants and 
beer-gardens. Men and women spend their time 



120 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

there promiscuously, and seem to enjoy themselves 
hugely, socially, around the thousands of tables we 
see all over the city. The water here is not consid- 
ered healthy, and we have to drink beer, too, in 
self-defense. 

Happy America.— 1 think we will all appreciate 
and love our own land much better than we have 
done after this tour in Europe. I have now scribbled 
my thoughts just as they came up, without the 
slightest regard to manner or matter. If there is 
any thing that will interest your readers you can 
give it to them, only give it in broken doses. As it 
is near dinner-time, 6:30 p.m., and my sheet is fall, 
I will close for the present. 



Vienna, July 20, 1873. 

The Austrian Capital. — ^Vienna is the capital city, 
and residence of the Austrian Emperor. It is situ- 
ated in a wide valley, surrounded by hills, on the 
southern arm of the Danube. The small liiver 
" Wien" runs through it, which has fifteen bridges, 
and Danube Canal has eight, connecting the city. 

Vienna has improved faster in the last few years 
than any city in Europe. In 1857, with its nine 
districts, it only numbered fifty-six thousand; in 
1864 there were five hundred and sixty thousand six 
hundred. This rapid increase has been owing to 
the fact that previously it had been kept within the 
fortifications. In 1858 these limits were removed, 
and now the population is nine hundred and one 
thousand three hundred and eightj^ It is the best- 
built city we have visited in Europe. The new por- 
tion has vidde streets, and extensive boulevards, but 
in the old part the streets are like all others we 
have seen, narrow and crooked. The buildincrs are 
very large, nearly all stone, or stuccoed like it, pre- 
senting a beautiful white appearance. The suburbs 
have been fortified with the still-existino: wall of 



Emperor of Austria. 121 

1704. The French occupied it twice for a short 
time, in 1806 and 1809. The celebrated Congress 
of 1814 and 1815 was held here. The year 1848 
brought along with it the insurrection, and ended 
with the occupying of the city in October. 

The present emperor, Francis Joseph, has done 
much for the city. He has taken a deep interest in 
the Exposition. He gave his private gardens to be 
• used for the houses of the nations, on the outskirts, 
and his eight fountains and lakes add much to the 
beauty of the surroundings. We had the pleasure 
of seeing him j^esterday without the trappings of 
royalty. He is a tall, spare-built man, keen eye, 
quick movements physically, and, I "guess," men- 
tally; well dressed, in a kind of loose sacque coat, 
with sword, cap, and spurs. Though taller, he re- 
minded me in his appearance and movements of 
A. T. Stewart, of Kew York. We did not seek to 
enter his palace, but w^e looked around it and saw 
inside, but it does not begin to compare with the 
King of Bavaria's Palace, l^otwith standing the 
rapid increase in the population of this city, and 
the vast improvement in the new portion of it, 
making it one of the handsomest cities of Europe, 
it is far less powerful as a capital and political center 
than it was before the commencement of those 
late revolutions which have freed Italy and concen- 
trated ITorthern Germany. They have about twelve 
thousand soldiers in the city. It must, however, be 
regarded as among the most noted cities, having 
been founded by the Romans, and afterward the 
Capital of the Eastern Province of Charlemagne, 
seat of the Court of Hungary in 1484, and soon 
after, to this time, the C'apital of Austria. The 
present emperor has expended a vast amount of 
money upon it to make it the rival of Paris. It has 
a circumference of some sixteen miles, including 
the new portion. Its imperial library is said to 
6 



122 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

contain four hundred thousand volumes, from twenty 
thousand to thirty thousand manuscripts, and over 
three hundred thousand engravings. They boast 
of St. Stephen's Cathedral, of the twelfth century, 
with a splendid spire, only second in height to that 
of Strasburg. We visited St. Peter's Church, 
modeled after St. Peter's of Rome, in which we ex- 
pect to worship next Sabbath. Here we saw the 
representation of Peter and the cock which crowed 
when he denied his Master. There are here laid 
away two skeletons, one of them a pope, in the most 
gorgeous array of glittering diamonds I ever saw. 
What folly to keep such relics as these in their 
churches ! The Burg, or Imperial Palace of Austria, 
is an irregular building, dating and remodeled from 
the thirteenth century. • 

We saw the house in which the wife of Napo- 
leon lived whom he married after the divorce of 
Josephine. This place seemed to have been an 
unfortunate one for the French Emperor. Here 
is where his son, the Duke of Reichstadt, died, 
in this church he is buried, and the city in which 
the Congress was held that terminated his eventful 
career. 

The imperial arsenal contains extensive barracks, 
and a very large collection of arms, ancient and 
modern, in Europe. We w^ent round to see the differ- 
ent nations, living as they do in their countries, and at 
work making the things they have on exhibition. 
This was very interesting, to see the Egyptians, 
Chinese, Japanese, Siamese, Portuguese, Russians, 
Grecians, Turks, Persians, and how many others I 
can't tell, as they are seen in their own lands. This 
was to me intensely interesting. But I must go 
back into the Exposition building, entering as we 
do at the west end. The side galler}^ on the right 
belongs to the United States, as well as the open 
court abutting upon it. This was originally ceded 



Order of the Exposition. 123 

to England, but she generously ceded it to ns. I 
am sorry to say we are so poorly represented. I 
presume our people inferred it would not pay to 
come so far to exhibit what they had to show, and 
they declined coming. The sewing-machine men 
are well represented here. I observed one bale of 
fine cotton from Memphis, by Messrs. J. W. Jeffer- 
son & Co. There was also cotton from other South- 
ern States. 

A quarter of the first side gallery belongs to En- 
gland, the rest to South America. You are now in 
the third main gallery, or nave, which, with the 
second and third transverse galleries, and open 
courts lying between, belongs to England. These 
are well filled with the products of old England, of 
which her people may well be proud, in many 
respects. 

Next comes France, which extends in the nave 
from the third transverse gallery to well-nigh the 
sixth. She has three covered courts between the 
third and sixth, and the open court between the 
third and fourth transverse galleries on the south. 
Here is a grand display, surpassing all others, I think, 
in some respects. 

The fifth gallery on the south belongs to Switzer- 
land, as well as the court touching upon it. 

The sixth transverse gallery belongs to Italy, as 
well as the open court on the south side. 

Belgium comes next, occupying the portion of the 
nave between the sixth and seventh transverse gal- 
leries. The space in the nave is occupied by Hol- 
land and Sweden. 

You have now reached the central part of the 
building, surrounding the rotunda. It forms^ a 
square, and four galleries all around. Two galleries 
are here allotted to Germany, as she occupies the 
center of Europe. Next comes Austria, which has 
the eastern gallery of the central square, and the 



124 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

next three transepts, with the eight courts lying be- 
tween them, of which seven are covered. Hungary 
has the next transverse galler}^, with the space in 
the nave intersecting it. Eussia has the eleventh 
and twelfth galleries ; Greece the thirteenth. The 
southern portion is divided between Tunis, Morocco, 
and Egypt, while the nave and half of the northern 
portion belong to Turkey, Persia, Central Asia, and 
Eoumania. The last gallery, forming the eastern 
fagade and entrance, is shared by Turkey in the 
south, China, Japan, and Siam, in the north. The 
same geographical arrangement has likewise been 
adopted in the machinery-hall. The other countries 
that could not be accommodated in the hall have 
two buildings allotted to them, on the right and left 
of the hall. Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Prus- 
sia, have each one hall; Germany, Austria, and 
France have each two, Hungary one. 

Take it altogether, it no doubt far exceeds any 
thing that has ever been. The buildings, covering 
one hundred and seventy acres of ground, and the 
vast amount and variety of things on exhibition, 
come up to, and far exceed, the expectations of those 
who have visited it, but it has been, financially, a 
terrible failure. It has not attracted the world's at- 
tention as was expected. Millions of money have 
been expended that will prove a loss to the projectors, 
and those associated with them. The policy pur- 
sued at first has kept thousands away, and shortened 
the visits of those who came. Extortion is realized 
everywhere, in and out of the Exposition. The re- 
sult is that not one-half of the people have been 
here that were expected, had a different policy been 
pursued. The machinery part of the Exposition is 
all that could be desired. There you see, as nowhere 
else you can, how hundreds of things are made, all 
in a few hours. My eight pages are filled, and I h^ve 
scarcely began to tell of this world's fair at Vienna, 



Letters from Eev. T. W. Hooper. 125 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Letters from Eev. T. W. Hooper, of Lynchburg, Virginia, 
written for the News. 

Munich, July 29, 1873. 

I WROTE you last at Lucerne. While I was writing, 
quite a number of our excursionists had gone up 
the Ehigi to see the sun set and rise. Some fortu- 
nately returned that evening, having made the ascent 
on that famous railroad where the cars are moved by 
a central rail and cogs. They were delighted with 
their experience; but those who staid all night were 
inclosed in a thunder-storm before night, and the 
next morning came down as wet and woe-begone a 
looking set of sight-seers as I ever met with. The 
view from the mountain, on a clear day (which comes 
once a month), is said to be magnificent; but I had 
climbed too many mountains in my day to pay seven 
francs for a ride to the top of one that does not com- 
pare with the Peaks, or Salt Pond, for variety or 
extent. 

I should like to have gone down the lake of four 
Cantons, to see the Chapel of William Tell; but 
there has been some question of late as to whether 
this whole story of Tell and the apple is not a myth 
from the poetic brain of Schiller, and as they do not 
stop the boat long enough to see the bow and arrow, 
I contented myself with a splendid bath in the 
classic waters of the lake, an'd a sound sleep to the 
rippling music of its rushing outlet, which here forma 
the river Bouss. 



126 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

That night, too, we had a pleasant chat and com- 
parison of notes with Dr. Witherspoon, who was on 
his way, via St. Bernard, Mt. Blanc, and Chamounix, 
to Geneva, where he expected to rejoin his "Sec- 
tion," on their return from Italy, where they are 
scorching at this time. I never saw any one im- 
prove as he has done since he heard that he was not 
elected professor at the University of Virginia, and 
can now accept the charge of the Tabb- street 
Church, in Petersburg. I am sorry for the Uni- 
versity, but glad for him and for the Cockade City. 

The next morning, about 11 o'clock, we took the 
cars, and, after a pleasant ride of two hours, found 
ourselves at the quaint old town of Zurich. In 
olden days this was famous as the home of Zwingle, 
the compeer of Luther and of Calvin; and it w^as 
interesting to see the old cathedral, where he fought 
so gallantly the pretensions and follies of a bloated 
and beastly hierarchy, until it tottered and fell be- 
fore the solid blows of Scripture and of logic. The 
town is now famous for the educational interests, 
which make it a kind of literary center for Switzer- 
land, and also for its manufactories of machinery 
and of silk. We saw some samples of silk at sixty 
cents and one dollar per yard; but there was such a 
diversity of opinion among "the marms" as to its 
quality, that I would not indulge. I did, however, 
take a splendid boat-ride on the lake, with J. T. and 
another young man as oarsmen, while I handled the 
ropes and steered. That night, too, we had some 
fine music in a beer-garden on the lake, from about 
thirty performers, with all kinds of instruments. 
The admission fee was twenty cents, and the music 
superior to one of our first-class concerts. 

The next morning we took the cars again, and in 
two or three hours reached Schaffhausen, and put 
up at the magnificent Switserhoff", on a lofty em- 
inence overlooking the famous Falls of the Rhine, 



Letters from Eev. T. W. Hooper. 127 

and in full view of the Black Forest. I walked that 
evening near its dark shadows, while the roar of the 
adjacent cataract sounded like distant thunder — 
until I got the blues, and was deathly homesick. 

The next morning we left this miniature ;N"iagara, 
with all its sylvan beauties of park and flowers, and 
its grand old castle on the hill, railroad-bridge of 
stone, and small antiquated town in the distance, 
and at 12 o'clock we reached Bomanshorn, wdiere we 
took the steamer on Lake Constance, and marched 
at once to our dinner-table, where we eat most 
heartily of our Frenchy viands on deck, and watched 
the spires of Constance, where the Catholics held, 
in the dark da3'S of their power, that remarkable 
Council which deposed three Popes, and elected 
another, and burned John Huss, who had more re- 
ligion than all the Council put together. Talk about 
Servetus and Calvin ! Well, I am not on a sermon, 
and will only sa\% if you want to be confirmed in 
Protestantism, just come over here; revive the 
struggles of the great Reformers, and look upon 
the miserable mummery and degraded ignorance of 
those who are still tortured with this spiritual rack, 
that lacerates and murders the soul. 

That night we reached Munich in safety, after a 
long, hot ride on the cars, from Lindeau, and were 
pleasantly quartered at the Belle Vue Hotel. As to 
Sunday, the less said about that in a secular paper 
the better. I can only say I hope I shall never be 
compelled to spend such another. 

Monday we visited the most remarkable paintings 
in existence. They are the choicest originals of 
Eaphael, Rubens, Titian, and Vandyke. I had no 
conception what sermons could be preached from 
canvas. "The Perdition of Lost Souls," and "The 
Last Judgment," are two of the masterpieces of 
Rubens, and are the strongest appeals to religious 
passion that ever entered the brain of an artist. 



128 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

There were hundreds there, which would demand 
hours of study, and give months of exquisite pleas- 
ure; but these two struck my fancy and riveted my 
gaze, as no other paintings have ever done, before 
or since. I should like to visit them again ; but 
time is precious with us, and we scarcely had time 
to see through the Glyptoths, and look at the statues, 
ancient and modern, when the closing hour arrived. 

We then strolled around to the palaces, old and 
new; admired the bronze statues in the streets; saw 
the house of Mozart, etc., etc., and that evening we 
took a ride, first to the Statue of Bavaria. This 
is the largest bronze cast in the world, and is com- 
posed of cannon captured in their various wars. It 
is sixty-nine feet high above the pedestal, and is in 
the form of a colossal woman, in the head of which 
six of our party sat down without crowding. " How 
is that for high?" was the spontaneous exclamation 
of more than one beholder. We then took a drive 
through the city to the English Garden, which seems 
to be a kind of royal park, with fine old trees, and 
about the center of it is "Iser rolling rapidly." But 
we rolled more rapidly than Iser on our return; for 
a sudden storm had struck us, driving the sand into 
our eyes, and nearly upsetting our carriage, and we 
just had time to reach the hotel, when a fearful 
thunder-storm, with torrents of rain, came crashing 
and pouring all around us. 

We leave here for Vienna, where I will write 
again. 



Vienna, July 31, 1873. 

I thought we had seen some noisy places in the 
course of our travels, but this certainly "removes 
the dilapidated linen from the diminutive tree," as 
they used to say when I was a boy. I went to bed 
at 9 o'clock last-night, thoroughly jaded, and was 



Letters fkom Rev. T. W. Hooper. 129 

aroused half a dozen times by the racket of wheels 
below me. I supposed at first it was the breaking 
up of some entertainment; but if so, they must 
have kept some of them going all night. We are 
most delightfully located, in a splendidly-furnished 
room on the fourth floor of the Hotel de France, 
and from my w^indow I have been looking down 
upon the street called Maria Theresa. I have seen 
the oddest mixture of sights that were ever accumu- 
lated in the same space. I saw them relieving the 
guard with a whole brigade of infantry, with blue 
pants and white coats. They marched in perfect 
order, and, having no guns, they kept time with the 
arms as well as feet, the right arm swinging time 
with the left foot. I have also seen lots of women 
pulling their little wagons to market — a woman on 
one side the pole and a dog on the other, and no 
child's play for either. In Glasgow I saw three 
horses hitched abreast to their omnibuses, which will 
carry as many on the outside as within — the center 
horse in shafts. Here, in Munich, I see one horse 
hitched to a wagon with a pole instead of shafts. In 
Scotland I also noticed that the plows are made 
of iron, in all their parts — handles, beam, and mold- 
board — but here they are made of wood, pointed 
with iron, and are hitched on to a two-wheeled ve- 
hicle. But, everywhere on the Continent, the men 
seem to do the talking, and the women do the work. 
Sometimes, in cutting hay, a woman will lead the 
row. They wear very short blue cotton dresses, of 
scant pattern ; but little girls are bundled up with 
dresses that nearly touch the ground. "We found 
them in the midst of the wheat-harvest in Bavaria 
and Austria, and the crop is a splendid one ; but I 
have neither seen a "reaper" nor an old-fashioned 
cradle. They prepare the bands before leaving the 
house, and one of our hands will bind as much as 
three of theirs, while one of McCormick's reapers 
6* 



130 A Memphian's Tkip to Europe. 

would in one day cut down all that grows on a dozen 
of their farms. But still the people manage to live, 
and look as brown and hardy as pine-knots. If they 
would just get an education and speak English, I 
would like to talk to some of them; but I will not 
degrade my mother-tongue by learning their Dutch 
lingo. 

Vienna is a beautiful city, and comes nearer to 
Paris in the way of boul vards and buildings than 
any city we have seen. From the number and mag- 
nificence of its churches, it would seem that piety 
ought to be prevalent; but I am afraid the whole 
virtue of the place might be compressed into Buz- 
zard's Koost, and still leave Brother H. a congre- 
gation at Sandy Hook that needed the gospel. But 
priests are plentiful, and so is money — such as they 
use, for it takes one hundred kreutzers to make fifty 
cents — and some people expect to get prayed to 
heaven in Latin for a small amount of money. Yes- 
terday we spent at the Exposition, and, as one of 
the party said, "it is no slouch of a show." Indeed, 
it is one of the grandest exhibitions that was ever 
seen, and I might as well attempt to paint a Lynch- 
burg sunset as to try to picture it. I suppose you 
could easily put all our churches in the central 
dome, with the Court-house on top, and then crowd 
around them all the goods sold in our goodly city 
for the last five years, and there would still be room 
for the ancient Market-house, Green's oyster saloon. 
Fort Snacks, and Mr. Phat-man as salesman. In 
some of the little transepts to the side I saw carpets 
enough to make Bridge street smooth enough for a 
carriage to run on, and in others silks enough to 
keep all of Guggenheimer's clerks busy measuring 
for a whole week, even without talking. In others 
I saw sole-leather enough to stock Seabury's and 
De Witt's until their great-grandchildren are as old 
as Mr. Washington was when George cut the apple- 



Letters from Rev. T. "W. Hooper. 131 

tree. In others there was perfumery enough to scent 
the Market street, and make it smell like Latham's 
drug store, and in others glass-ware enough to stock 
Kinnier's and Boyd's, if they were to extend their 
stores be3"ond the Watering Branch. 

In the mechanical department I saw machines 
from all parts of the world, and for every conceiva- 
ble purpose. I think there must be locomotives 
enough on hand to stock the great A., M. & 0. R. 
R., or that other road that passes through — with a 
name too long for this paper to hold. There are 
also water-wheels, printing-presses, pumps, spinning 
and weaving-machines — all at work, and producing 
a clatter equal to a big break at Friend's warehouse, 
with an organ and monkey attachment on the out- 
side, at dinner-time. 

As to the crowds that assemble there — -just put the 
Tower of Babel and Pentecost together, and you 
may forrti some conception of the confusion of 
tongue, and of nationalities, too, that is collected in 
that wonderful place. "All the world and his wife," 
say some, are to be found there; but I did not find 
them. I looked for the agent of the "Occidental," 
and "Lone Jack," and "Old Sledge;" but while the 
tobacco is all there, looking as bright and as yellow 
as it does at home, there was no agent to be found, 
and so I shall have to put up with the stumps of old 
cigars cut up into smoking-tobacco. I might smoke 
cigars, for they are remarkably cheap and good; but 
I want a meerschaum pipe, and want to color it on 
the way back home, and I want to color it with 
nothing less than Lynchburg smoking-tobacco; for, 
say what you will, Ave can beat the world on that, as 
this Exposition will decide. 

I have had many things to remind me of home; 
but these brands of tobacco seemed to bring back 
the dear old city more strikingly than any thing 
else. I had parted from Tanner on going out, and 



132 A Mbmphian's Teip to Europe. 

as soon as I met him, lie excitedly asked : "Did you 
see the Lone Jack?" "Yes," said I, "and the Oc- 
cidentah" Another word, say "Highlander," and 
we would both of us have burst into tears, as those 
Norfolk refugees did during the war in Liberty. 
They met unexpectedly at court, and began to talk 
about home. One mentioned "soft crabs," and the 
other "oysters," one "hog-fish," and the other 
"spots;" and so they went on, until the memories of 
the good old epicurean days were too much for them, 
and they sat and wept in silent sorrow over the 
"joys they had tasted." Jack and I only escaped a 
similar fate by dropping the subject. 

I have gotten to be a real " Old Mortality" since I 
came to this Old World, and to-day I went to visit 
the graves of Maria Theresa, Joseph, and others, 
who have given name to and made the history of 
Austria. The fact is, that with the exception of 
Queen Victoria, the great of these famous countries 
are in the dust, and you must go to the tomb if you 
would derive that inspiration which travel is ex- 
pected to impart. "We find here no Napoleon nor 
Wellington, no Frederick nor Ludwig, to occupy the 
places made vacant by the death of those whose 
names are so familiar to us in America. "Peace 
hath her victories," etc.; but when we come all the 
way to Europe to see strange things, we are not in- 
terested so much in these peaceful scenes, but want 
to look upon the emblems of valor and the trophies 
of victory that have made history readable, and he- 
roes familiar to our memories. It may be one more 
evidence of the depravity of human nature, but it 
is none the less true, that we look with more pleasure 
upon a battle-field than upon a harvest — with more 
interest upon some old castle, where thousands have 
been slain, than upon a modern palace or chateau, 
where a noble family now live in peace and plenty. 

We are all the time looking for celebrities, and, 



Letters prom Rev. T. W. Hooper. 183 

like the Floyd man who would n't eat bnclrwheat- 
cakes in Christiansburg because he had "enough 
of them victuals at home," so we will not deign to 
look upon the most beautiful valle^-s, or most tow- 
ering mountain, because we have all that in America, 
and came here to see something that we do n't have 
there. 

By the way, I have been disappointed in these 
rivers. "The beautiful blue Danube " is as muddy 
as "Blackwater," only the mud is whitish, and "Iser 
rolling rapidly " will not compare with James River 
at Balcony Falls, while "l!*few River" has more ro- 
mantic scenery than the Tweed, and York River is 
more beautiful than the Thames. 

But I must close. Several Englishmen have been 
imprisoned for making slighting and invidious com- 
parisons, and somebody might get hold of this and 
report me. 



MATEifCE, August 4, 1873. 

""Westward the star of Empire takes its way," 
and I am happy to say that this is the star by which 
my course is directed. Yes, " We're on our journey 
home;" "Home Again," "Home, Sweet Home," 
and every other song that has "home" in it, has 
been ringing in my ears with a merry chime ever 
since I left Vienna. Seeing sights in a foreign land 
is pleasant fo read about, and a pleasant pastime 
for a season, but a man gets tired of it, and it cer- 
tainly would take a first-class sensation to disturb 
my equanimity after all that I have seen. Miles of 
pictures, and whole acres of statues, together with 
innumerable cemeteries and vaults where earth's 
greatest heroes are "resting in royalty," as Dr. Ar- 
mistead used to say about Dives, are enough to be 
compressed into one or two months, in the way of 
art. And as to nature, we have seen "Loughs," 



134 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

in Ireland, "Locks," in Scotland, and "Lacs," in 
Switzerland, which have inspired such men as 
Moore, and Scott, and Byron, and Rousseau, and 
Schiller, and the mountains we have climbed are 
associated with the names of Cromwell and Rich- 
ard, Hannibal and Cesar, Charlemagne and Bona- 
parte. 

As to palaces, we have walked in the gilded hall 
where roamed such characters as Mary Queen of 
Scots, Douglas, Richard, and Elizabeth. We have 
seen the beds of the First and Third Napoleon, as 
well as those of Queen Mary and Maria Theresa; 
have trod on Mosaic pavement, and walked through 
marble halls that once echoed with whispers of 
intrigue that have set all Europe on fire with the 
torch of war, or that have echoed the footsteps of 
the dancing nobility, where each beau was a hero, 
and each belle a heroine that was worthv a volume 
to portray their charms, or to commemorate their 
deeds of glory. 

I read that page of bombast to the Doctor, who had 
just waked up, and his only remark was : "Halloo, 
I didn't know we had done all that," and as you 
may have some other readers who can't appreciate 
such a style, I will get down from my stilts, and as 
I am approaching the land of Froissart, give you 
the styles of his "chronicles." 

I w^rote you last from Vienna. That day we went 
out to Schonbrunn Palace, memorable as the sum- 
mer-residence of Austrian emperors. It is a quaint 
old palace, that reminded me of the old "armory" 
in Richmond, only indefinitely extended, and with 
wings to the front at each end of the main building. 
But it is of a whitish-yellow color, and it is too flat 
and squatty for good architecture. We could not 
gain admittance, however, to the palace, and con- 
tented ourselves with a walk through its beautiful 
gardens and parks, associated as they were, in my 



Letters from Rev. T. W. Hooper. 135 

mind, at least, with "Joseph 11. and his court," by 
Muhlbach: the whole scene was alive with memo- 
ries of Theresa, and their numerous offspring, so 
many of whom she w^ould like to have buried in 
their childhood, could she have foreseen the years 
of sorrow and agony to which her ambitious intrigues 
were consigning them. Here, too, God put an end 
to that poor prince for whom Napoleon sacrificed 
his honor and his love for Josephine. Yes, it was 
in that very house that the poor fellow died, in the 
bed that his father had occupied before him, and he 
is now buried in the same vault with Francis, 
Joseph, Maria, etc., whose names, a capuchin monk, 
with the garb of the grave and the face of a Bacchus, 
repeated in Dutch, while we read them in Latin 
upon the coffins. 

We strolled on through the grounds where trees 
are trimmed so smoothly that they look like a brick 
wall overgrown with ivy, climbed through a tangled 
pathway, instead of the sunny walk around the 
fountain of Neptune to the "glariat." This is a beau- 
tiful specimen of architecture, and a fine place for 
an emperor, or a poor preacher, to air himself, and 
enjoy the picturesque scenery which God has fur- 
nished in profusion for the poor and the rich alike. 
We sat there in its cool shade, and pleasant breeze, 
dreaming of the past, and thought we could see- 
*'Ichabod" written under the names of Maria and 
Joseph, while a voice from Solomon seemed to 
whisper in the breeze: "Vanity of vanities, all is 
vanity." 

Butleavingthesemonumentsof departed glory we 
descended to the riglit of the main avenue, when, just 
as the guide-book says, we came to an old Roman 
ruin, unmistakably ancient, and with the figures of 
the "fasces," and other emblems that mark it as 
genuine. We first took a drink at its crystal (?) foun- 
tain, which the Doctor thought might proceed from a 



136 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

bathing-house we had just passed, and where we 
thought of taking a bath in memory of Francis and 
Theresa, and then we sat down and dreamed of 
Cesar and his cohorts, and what a pity it was that 
poor little Marie Antoinette had not fallen in that 
pool where that tadpole is wriggling, instead of 
waiting until she was -old enough to amuse herself 
building the little Trianon at Versailles, and then 
amuse the volatile Frenchby losing her head on the 
guillotine at the spot now marked by the "Place de 
Concord." 

I was thus musing upon the past, having put a 
few remnants of brick and marble in my pocket, 
for a young friend who is fond of such things, when 
I heard the Doctor pecking away at an arch of the old 
ruin, and had scarcel}^ had time to warn him against 
the profanation when a female employee darted out 
from behind the wall, and put out in a run toward 
the palace. We both concluded that we had seen 
enough of that ruin, and as the sun was still warm, 
we preferred the aforesaid shade by-path, the 
crookeder the better. Then we concluded we had 
rocks and marble enough without these we had just 
collected, and threw them away in the bushes, and 
after much winding about, and not much leisure, 
we walked out boldly into the avenue, through the 
•lines of the sentinels, and never breathed freely 
until we had taken a street-car and mixed up with 
the crowd at the Exposition. Catch me gathering 
mementoes from old ruins hereafter! Not that the 
woman meant to report us, or that we were arrested 
and imprisoned, but all that rushed through our 
minds, with a probable war between the United 
States and Austria to deliver two of its loyal citi- 
zens from some damp and dismal dungeon, where 
they had been imprisoned for stealing rocks from a 
Eoman ruin. For my part they may crumble away 
to the dust, with the old chaps who erected them, 



Letters from Eev. T. W". Hooper. 137 

or with those who once enjo^^ed them, and after 
that scare, if I secure any relics I will buy them 
from the priests in the sanctuary, and thus know 
that they are genuine. But I must close now, as it 
is most time for breakfast, and we leave for a ride 
down the Rhine on a steamer to Cologne. This 
will be a most delightful change, after six hundred 
miles on the cars, from Vienna to this place, which 
we made in two nights, spending the intervening 
day at Munich. 

We heard on yesterday that Mr. Spurgeon is to 
preach for our especial benefit next Sunday evening 
at the Tabernacle, in London. A real gospel-ser- 
mon will be to me now as ''honey from the rock," 
or ^'Horeb to Israel." 



Brussels, August 7, 1873, 

I wrote you last from Mayence, from which point 
we took the steamer down the Rhhie to Cologne. 
It was a splendid journey of six hours, over the 
finest scenery of the Rhine district, and is the only 
portion, I believe, that is covered by the famous en- 
gravings called " Panorama of the Rhine." In 
some places the hills on shore are almost bare of 
verdure, but generally they are green with grape- 
vines, which are so closely trimmed, that trained as 
they are to a single stick, they look at a distance 
like a corn-field' when the corn is just in silk. But 
along each bank, and at a distance of from half a 
mile to two miles, were the old Roman castles that 
make this country so famous to tourists, and that 
add historic interest to the scene. Around these 
chng the legends of childhood, and some of them 
stilTbear the marks of recent wars of ISTapoleon and 
his successors. 

Arriving at Cologne about 6 p.m., we crossed the 
river on a pontoon bridge to the beautiful Hotel 



138 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

Belle Yue, which contains a splendid view of the 
city opposite, as well as of the Khine, and has a 
beautiful garden in the rear adorned with flowers, 
shade-trees, and tables where beer-drinkers and 
wine-bibbers spend their evenings. We soon found 
that there was a "fete-day" on hand, and pushed 
our way through the crowd to a place where "Don- 
nvbrook Fair" must have been assembled, and 
where the whole of Cologne, without the "eau de," 
had collected to witness it. For about half a mile, 
on each side of a narrow street, were cake and beer 
stalls, and I am sure they had gingerbread enough 
to supply all our Sunday-schools with picnics for 
the next ten years. Then we came to side-shows, 
theaters. Punch and Judy, riding-rings, monstrosi- 
ties, jugglers, circuses, etc., until at last we had 
worked our way down to the main show, which 
was a "shooting-match" at targets. We watched 
them for some time, and saw some of the finest 
rifle-shooting that I have seen since the days of 
squirrel hunting in Bedford. That night I had to 
close my windows to shut out the discordant sounds 
of a Dutch concert, which may' have been kept up 
all night for what I know, at a neighboring beer- 
garden. The next morning we were aroused pretty 
early by the rattling of carts and carriages, and as 
we do not breakfast before eight or nine o'clock, we 
concluded to "do" Cologne before that time. 

We have acquired such a facility in that line that 
an ordinary city of fifty thousand inhabitants will 
require half a day — larger ones in proportion. 
Crossing the pontoon bridge, we purchased a bottle 
of the genuine cologne from the manufacturers, 
and thus armed proceeded to march bomb-proof 
amid the ten thousand historic scents of this dirty 
place. But it may have been due to the fact that I 
came from Lynchburg, and hence was not pecu- 
liarly struck with the filth, and had I not seen Paris 



Letters from Rev. T. W. Hooper. 139 

and London, might have regarded this as a model 
of neatness and sweet smells. 

We went through the magnificent Cathedral at 
early mass, listened awhile to tolerahlj good music, 
while we eyed the architecture and paintings, and 
then went on down to the Church of St. Ursula. 
This church was intended to commemorate the 
chastity of Ursula and her virgin S: — eleven thous- 
and — who, instead of marrying, as the Bible com- 
mands, went into a convent. ]^ot satisfied here, as 
no woman is, they went off on a long tramp to 
Rome to see what the chances were for a happy 
m.arriage among the priests. They found them a 
jolly set of fellows, but more inclined to wine than 
to marriage. So after this hopeless attempt at mat- 
rimony, like our schoolmarms, they determined to 
go back "to him and try their luck in the old 
country again." But while they were sorrowfully 
wending their way, downcast and melancholy, a lot 
of free-lovers from the North came upon them, and 
they had a big fight, in which, they say, all the wo- 
men got killed, and now their skulls and bones are 
stuck around the walls of this church in a kind of 
iron net-work. We went in and gazed upon the 
bones, while the little children sang most beautiful 
chants to the music of a splendid organ, and the 
image of the chaste "old maid," St. Ursula, looked 
down complacently upon them, and a venerable 
priest drank the wine at the altar instead of giving 
it to their parents. 

Well, we left St. Ursula without even a bow of 
recognition for fear of mistake, and wended our 
way across the splendid railroad bridge, which is 
guarded at each end by a fine-looking old gentleman 
in bronze riding General Washington's horse, as it 
appears on the monumentin Richmond, only the head 
is turned the wrong way, which may be due to sea- 
sickness while crossing the Atlantic. 



140 A Memphian's Trip to EuptOPS. 

I am not joking about that horse. We did not 
go to the bronze foundry in Munich, where we 
might have seen all their models, but it is evident 
that he has a model of a horse which he mounts 
with Washington, Leopold, ISTapoleon, or whatever 
hero may be needed, and as horses do not differ as 
much as men, the world is none the wiser for this 
^' trick in trade." 

That morning we took the train at 11:40 for this 
place, to which we had a fine journey through a 
splendid section, where men, women, children, and 
dogs, were all engaged in gathering in the harvest. 
Belgium, so far, is the finest agricultural region we 
have passed through on the Continent, and there 
seems to be a better system of agriculture, as well 
as larger farms and finer houses. The people all 
speak French, which sounds more familiar to us 
than German, and the money is decidedly more 
easily calculated. It takes one hundred centimes 
to make a franc, and a franc is worth twenty cents. 
So, in this way, a man who is at all acquainted with 
Pike "can easily compute the cost of lace," etc. 

Yesterday we went around by the Cathedral, 
Palace, Royal Park, etc., to the Zoological Gardens. 
Here we spent two or three hours most pleasantly 
in watching the animals, birds, fish, and plants, for 
it is a general combination of all in one inclosure, 
about half a mile square. We saw all kinds of 
dogs, from a bench-leg fice to a St. Bernard; ani- 
mals from a guinea-pig to an elephant; birds from 
a wren to the North American eagle. There was a 
splendid collection of birds of the most gorgeous 
colors, enough to keep all the gravel-shooters in 
Lynchburg busy during a whole vacation. Here, 
too, we saw one of Mark Twain's pilgrims, a kind 
of crane, who has a curious fancy for standing on 
one of his spindling legs, which is about the size of 
a drum-stick, and about two feet long. We also 



Letters from Rev. T. W. Hooper. 141 

saw a splendid specimen of the ostricli, whose tails 
were gone, and as many old hares from India as 
would stock a pine-forest in Amherst. 

After passing through this and the aquarium, 
which is formed out of an artificial grotto, and 
where we tried to stir up a crocodile which was 
either asleep, or like M. T.'s mummy — "dead" 
— we strolled on down the boulevards, which are 
wide, shady streets, built on the foundation of the 
old walls, into the old city. Here we first went into 
a lace factory, where they employ two thousand 
'^ve hundred women. They showed us the whole 
process, which is very simple to look at, but rather 
tedious to practice with a cambric needle by the 
life-time. We made some small purchases, com- 
mensurate with our funds, which are " growing- 
small by degrees, and beautifully less." I could 
have spent a whole year's salary and put the result 
of it in the pocket-book out of which the money 
was taken to pay for it, or in my pocket-book just 
as it is at present. 

"We then went on down to look at the local mon- 
ument, called the Menachin Fountain, said to be 
copied from nature, and commemorative of the 
finding of a little prince who strolled away from 
home and got lost, as many other small boys have 
done before and since. 

We might spend weeks here looking at pictures, 
and specimens of ancient armor, etc., or we might 
go to the battle-field of Waterloo, which is twelve 
miles ofiT, but I have seen paintings enough to last 
me, and I lived on a battle-field too long to have 
any special curiosity about that. Some of our party 
have gone, however, and some yesterday went into 
ecstasies over the ball-room where the ball was held 
the night before the battle, and on which was writ- 
ten, "There was a sound of revelry by night." But 
after they returned to the guide-books they found 



142 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

that that particular ball-room was torn down several 
years ago, and so all their enthusiasm was wasted. 
Well, we leave here in the morning for Antwerp, 
whence we sail at 4 p.m. for London, where I trust 
I shall be able to write to you again. 



Letters from Rev. A. B. "Whipple. 143 



CHAPTER IX. 

Letters from the Eev. A. B. Whipple, President of Lansing- 
burgh College, New York. 

Munich, July 15, 1873, 

My last letter closed, I think, with the word 
London, a place known as a large city. Arriving 
there at 9 p.m., and leaving the next day at 3 p.m., 
left us onl}^ eighteen hours to eat, sleep, and see 
what we could. Some three of us went in the 
morning to see the Zoological Gardens, containing 
a large part of all the animals described in our natu- 
ral histories. They are all in ample grounds, or 
rooms, well adapted to their nature.- A bird-house, 
for instance, containing mostly Cohcmbce, or birds of 
the dove species, was about one hundred and seventy 
feet long, forty wide, and in the center fifty feet 
liigh, all woven together, with meshes about an inch 
square, or rather, diamond-shaped. Within were trees 
of different kinds, climbing ivy, and many beautiful 
flowers; and flying or resting among these were the 
many-colored birds of the class above-mentioned, 
and a few other smaller ones of different kinds, that 
would live in harmony. Probably the place where 
my young friends would linger longest would be the 
monkey-house — nearly as large as the other, and, 
like it, made of stouter wire, while outside was a 
brick wall, and over all a slated roof. Here, in the 
wire house, were all varieties of monkeys — not all 



144 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

in one section; for, like men, some are for quarrel- 
ing, and some are for peace. One could ^and there 
for hours, had he the time, to see their various ways 
of spending their strength. All the apparatus of a 
good gymnasium was theirs, and such agility as they 
manifested was truly amusing — swinging by hands, 
or feet, or tail; jumping from a swing to bars; 
amusing themselves on ladders, poles, and in rings; 
chasing one another up and around their wire-sided 
home; their fights — apparent or real fights — their 
laughing chatter — all with their serious, sober faces 
— is truly amusing. There were elephants and rhi- 
noceros, giraffes and hippopotami, seals and other 
amphibians, and so on and so on, till our whole day 
was spent. We have several days in London when 
we return. 

By 8 o'clock we were crossing the German Ocean. 
^'Rocked in the cradle of the deep," we slept, and 
in the morning were steaming up the Scheldt, for 
the old Dutch city of Antwerp. The sail up the 
river is not particularly interesting; for the country 
is very flat, the river banked on both sides with 
levees, over which we could not see, save here and 
there the tops of a few trees and the spires of some 
churches. jN'arrower grows the river, and by 11 
o'clock we make fast to the pier, and go off the 
gangway-plank to see and to be seen. 

We spend the rest of the day in sight-seeing. I 
shall only try to tell something of the Cathedral of 
!Notre Dame, wonderful not only for its architectural 
beauty, but especially for its many and magnificent 
paintings by the celebrated painter, Rubens. "The 
Ascent of the Cross," "TheDescent from the Cross," 
" The Crucifixion," " The Assumption of the Virgin," 
"The Holy Mother," and many more, on large can- 
vas, so that, though sixty or one hundred feet above 
us, they look life-like in size and color. Here we 
found many artists, wdth easels, busily engaged copy- 



Letters fhom Rev. A. B. Whipple. 145 

ing these works of the great master. One we saw, 
who has done nothing else but copy these paintings 
for the last thirtj'-tive years, always finding ready 
purchasers. To appreciate, one must see them. One 
thing which may be interesting in this matter is 
this: The holy mother, in face, is the portrait of his 
second wife, while in another painting the faces of 
some of the saints are his first wife and relations, 
and some of the angels his own children ; and fii 
nearly all his paintings the portrait of himself ap- 
pears. From what I have seen of his paintings, I 
think I shall know Rubens's masterpieces when I 
see them. Many other paintings adorned the walls, 
but his are the glory of J^otre Dame. 

We then visited the silk works. All silk is woven 
by hand, in old-fashioned looms; and we were told 
that it is so woven everywhere in the world. 

'Next day found us in Brussels. Cathedrals seem 
to be the chief places to visit in this country; so we 
march to that of St. Gudule — not so noted for its 
paintings as for some of its architectural work, carv- 
ings in wood, and sculptured stone. Selecting one 
thing, let me mention the pulpit of carved oak. Its 
base represents Adam and Eve just after eating the 
forbidden fruit, with bowed heads and sorrowful 
faces, and Eve with the fruit still in her hand. On 
their shoulders is the pulpit, and u^der their feet 
and around them is the serpent, in man}- folds about 
and above the pulpit; above is a canopy, and on the 
top of this, in horizontal position, with open mouth 
and forked tongue, is the head of the serpent, and 
above the serpent, with heel upon his head, stands 
the Son of man, crowned with radiant glory. This 
altogether forms the frame- work, and around and 
ornamenting the whole are carved trees and branches, 
on and among which are various animals in various 
attitudes, yet "all with ears turned in the direction of 
the pulpit, as if to hear the fearful doom pronounced 
7 



146 A Memphian's Tkip to Europe. 

on all the world for this Hrst sin. Even a poor mon- 
key, with some of the forbidden fruit in his hand, 
imitating Eve, no doubt, is faithfully represented, 
suggesting, perhaps, his fall in common with our 
race. As a specimen of carved work, it, in design 
and finish, surpasses any thing I have yet seen. I 
climbed to the top of a monument, some two hun- 
dred steps, where could be seen the whole city as a 
niap, and away northward the battle-field of Water- 
loo. I visited the Royal Palace, Town Hall, parks, 
and Museum, which are all well filled with works of 
art — painting or sculpture. Here, too, I found my 
way into the lace-factories, and saw the slow process 
of making all forms of lace "with needle and 
thread." To see five hundred pins and as many 
threads, with little handles, stuck here and there, 
and pulled this way and that, all in a space not so 
large as your hand, was at least amusing, and some- 
what instructive; for, by inquiring, I learned that 
eighteen months are spent on a good lace kerchief 
by women working twelve and fourteen hours per 
day, for twenty cents, and, when done, worth about 
one hundred dollars — enough to keep an ordinary 
nose clean. 

'Next day we arrived at Cologne — so-called from 
a Roman "Colonia." Here, too, cathedrals gather 
all the wealth and art of the city. Amid much 
sameness of purpose, an endless variety of means is 
made apparent. The Cathedral is the one most 
noteworthy — one of the most stupendous specimens 
of Gothic architecture in the world, dizzying to the 
mind in size and details. It was begun in 1248, and 
they hope to finish it in a few years — the two towers 
remaining unfinished. Each tower will be five hun- 
dred feet high, and this is the length of the building. 
It has one hundred and sixty-nine cloisters, five hun- 
dred and seventy-six windows — many of them very 
large — and ^ve hundred turrets, or small towers. It 



Letters from Eev. A. B. Whipple. 147 

is ma2:nificent without as well as witliin. It has a 
chapeX •"Three Kings of Cologne "—the three wise 
men of the east— hehiud the high altar; and the 
wealth of a nation seems lavished on a case said to 
contain their bones. It is also in paintings, but so 
like others that I will not discuss them. You must 
know that it was Sunday, here a holiday, though 
..every church is open. A procession of five hundred 
children were inarching along the streets, strewn 
with oak-leaves and evergreens; houses were adorned 
with flags, and lights were burning before images 
in niches and windows. I believe the day was St. 
Michael's, and all was in honor of him. Following 
along, we went into different churches, all beautiful, 
and rich with medieval art. We paused longest in 
Ursula, where we saw the bones of eleven thousand 
viro-ins, or little girls, who had been on a pilgrimage 
to Rome with St. Ursula, an English lady; on their 
return they were murdered by the Huns, and here, 
in various forms, carved, ornamented, and colored, 
are kept these relics of the past for the curious 
tourist to see, and devout Catholics to worship. To 
see eleven thousand skeletons, each bone separated 
from its fellow, and piled up like so many bundles 
of fao-s-ots, is what an anatomist would call going 
back'to "first principles." We found also an Eng- 
lish chapel, where we attended service, and heard a 
ffood story on the sin of worshiping. It being a 
holiday, all places of art exhibition and amusement 
were open, and all stores and street venders seemed 
to be doing a very thriving business. The many 
oddities of dress, and other things, I reserve for a let- 
ter by itself. Our hotel is on the banks of the Khine, 
with several terraces, each shaded, and seated like 
beer-gardens, as they are, where all day Sunday and 
Sundav-night, thousands gather to eat drink, hear 
the band of music, and finally go home after afine dis- 
play of fireworks. Suchhasbeen a Sunday m Cologne. 



148 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

ViENifA, July 19, 1873. 
My Dear Readers:— We left Cologne, the city 
of smells, Monday-morning, by rail for Bonn, where 
we tarried for an hour, running through the famous 
University, one thousand two hundred and eighty 
feet long, with three hundred lecture-rooms and 
halls, and a library of one hundred thousand vol- 
umes. In the classical recitation-room, coverings 
nearly one side of the wall, was a painting by Ra- 
phael, representing the great scholars of the past — 
Homer, Plato, Eschylus, Euripides, Socrates, Dem- 
osthenes, among the Greeks; Yirgil, Cicero, Cesar, 
Horace, of the Latin race; and of more modern 
men, Dante, Shakspeare, and others; all with some 
symbol whereby a reader of their works would 
know them. Along the library were busts of the 
honored great, among which the deformed ^sop 
was worthy of notice. Here, too, we saw some of 
the nondescript compositions of Beethoven, and not 
far thence we entered the house where he was said 
to have been burned; plucking a rose-leaf from the 
garden, we placed it between the leaves of our note- 
book to bring home, or, more likely, lose on the 
way. For the sake of seeing this place we had 
taken cars and so gained the time. ]N"ow our steam- 
boat, the Emperor of Germany, came along, and 
we went on board to spend the day in steaming up 
the Rhine. Below Bonn there is not much that is 
worthy of notice. Above, the beauty and the 
grandeur begin. For awhile I try to persuade my- 
self that the Hudson is equal in beauty, in palisades, 
in mountain scenery, but I am compelled to give 
the first prize to the Rhine. Most of the way the 
rough, bold mounts, crowd down to the river on 
both sides, and, up the sides, where it would seem 
there is nothing but rocks, industrious hands have 
made terraces, and planted grape-vines nearly to the 
summit. One needs to see them to understand the 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 149 

phrase, ''The vine-clacl hills." On many of the 
bold and projecting cliiFs stands the remains of 
castles built far back in the small centuries. 
Much of their history is the history of the nation, 
now proud of their ruins. Under them, on the 
river's bank, are small villages, surrounded by 
the old walls within which the old castles stood. 
'No doubt they were thus placed to be under the 
protection of the castles, or to flee into them in 
time of need; for a castle is not simply a large 
house, or a tower, but quite a village of itself, sur- 
rounding and occupying many acres of ground, 
protected sometimes by walls fourteen feet in thick- 
ness, with massive buildings within to contain vast 
supplies, for large numbers and for a long time. 
Under the safe-keeping of such defenses, in old 
feudal times, gathered the sparse population, and in 
steaming up the Rhine we read past history. So 
numerous now are little villages along the river 
that we are seldom out of sight of one. The moun- 
tain scenery, and the cultivation up their steep sides 
of the grape, gives constant exercise for eye and 
imagination. Where horses and cattle cannot get 
to plow, women can, and we thus learn that woman- 
power is here highly prized, and highly used; and 
all along this valley they are far above the men in 
the culture which makes Rhine wine so acceptable 
to their loving husbands. We turn from such 
pleasant reveries, and &x our eyes on Coblence — 
Confluenza — situated at the confluence of the Moselle 
and Rhine; a large, walled city, back, and above it, 
one of the castles like others, only a living, or 
occupied one, named Fort Kaiser Alexander, 
while nearly opposite is Ehrenbreistein castle 
and fort, deemed the strongest in all the German 
States. 

We pass Schonburg — a place frequented by Lu- 
ther, and easily recalled by the readers of the 



150 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

''Schonburg Cotta Family." Amid ever-changing 
delights for the eye, we stop a few moments at 
"Bingen, fair Bingen on the Rhine." 

On and on into the darkness, until we enter May- 
ence, a city founded thirteen years before the 
Christian era began, and capital of the Grand Duchy 
of Hessia. The imposing pile of the Cathedral, 
founded in the eighth century, the isolated groups 
of churches, the commanding aspect of the citadel, 
and the far-stretching girdle of massive fortifications, 
address themselves at once to the eye and to the im- 
agination. Tired as I am of describing churches, 
I will here say, it is said no cathedral in Germany 
has as many monuments and epitaphs as this. What 
pleased me far more was to find a monument in the 
public square of, or to the memory of Johann zum 
Gensfleick, of Guttenburg, the inventor of the art 
of printing, in 1450. His statue is of bronze, after 
a model by Thorwalsden, and cast in Paris. He is 
represented with some types — a b c — in his hand, 
each separate, and therefore movable. On the pe- 
destal sides are difterent representations ; one setting 
type, one a boy printing with a screw press, and 
another himself, in the act of reading the proof- 
sheet, and another an inscription in Latin, as follows : 
"An art which neither the Greeks nor Romans un- 
derstood the genius of a German has found out. 
'Now, whatever the ancients knew, and the moderns 
know, it is not for himself, but for all mankind." 
The citizens of Mayence erected this monument to 
Guttenburg, by money collected throughout Europe, 
in 183T. 

From Mayence to Munich, so far the finest Ger- 
man city. We visit the Glyptothek, a large build- 
ing filled with statuary, mostly Grecian and Roman, 
every thing in the highest style of art. To any one 
having read the mythologies of these nations a 
sight of all the ideal gods and goddesses is well worth 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 151 

the time spent in looking at them, but no verbal 
description will make one to fully appreciate them. 
We cross the street to another like building filled 
with fine oil-paintings of modern times. Here one 
can revel in all the beauties of color and imagina- 
tion, so blended as to charm the beholder. A little 
walk and we enter another art-gallery, containing 
one thousand four hundred and twenty- two paintings. 
We look at some of the finest in each room, and 
pass on satisfied, and satiated with manifestations 
of this pictorial art. At 11 o'clock we enter the 
palace of the king, and spend tv\'o hours in w^ander- 
ing through royal halls, and rooms, and gazing at 
huge historic paintings adorning the halls and ceil- 
ings of most of the rooms. 

In the ro3^al dancing-hall the paintings represent 
various styles of dancing and of dress; and as to 
the latter, more of the person than of the dress ap- 
pears. In one, or rather two rooms, are thirty-five 
oil-portraits of the handsomest women said to have 
lived in Munich. They are very fine, but we could 
equal them at home had w^e equal artists. Lola 
Montez was one among them formerly, but so much 
has been said to her disgrace that, despite the beauty 
of her face, her picture has been removed to another 
place. 

The throne-room was the grandest in style and 
finish. On each side a row of kings, beginning 
with the first and ending with Charles XII., King of 
Sweden, all of bronze, of more than life-like size, 
and clothed in the style of the different ages in 
which they lived — a kind of running history of it- 
self. At the end of the room was the throne, raised 
several steps above the floor of the hall. The talk 
of the Yankee schoolmasters has been heard in 
royal halls, and gliding out into the free air w^e 
sought and entered the "bronze manufactory where 
are made most of the bronze statuary of the world. 



152 A Memphian's Tkif to Europe. 

Saw many models of American works — Washing- 
ton, Clay, Benton, Mason, GoverHtor Andrews of 
Massachusetts — in process of molding and casting; 
also a soldiers' monument for Worcester, and one 
for Cincinnati, and many of the kings, and queens, 
and soldiers, and artists, and scholars with which 
many cities of the world are adorned. It is a won- 
derful establishment. Here was made the largest 
bronze monument in the world — the Bavarian statue. 
It represents a human sixty-five feet in altitude, and 
every way well proportioned, the hand six feet, and 
the nose twenty-three inches; yet, standing so 
high on its pedestal that at a not great distance it 
seems of natural size. Though hollow, it required 
seventy-eight tons of brass in its construction, made 
of cannon taken in wars, mostly from the Turks. 
It cost ninety-seven thousand dollars, and was ten 
years in making. In the hollow head nine or ten 
persons can find room, and out through her curls 
can crawl up on to the outside of her ample head. 
Her hair hangs in curls down her back. One hand 
rests on a huge lion by her side, while in the oth^r 
was grasped the royal scepter. Altogether it was 
well worthy of the nation, the artist, the design-^ 
and the carriage- ride to see it. Thence to the 
establishment where are made the beautiful stained- 
glass windows which adorn and beautify the windows 
of so many churches in this and other lands. Here 
we saw some of the finest paintings yet seen, and 
done in glass. Having a little time to spare, we rode 
around the city of two hundred thousand inhabitants, 
listened a few moments to a concert of one hundred 
brass instruments, in a beer-garden, and weary, seek 
our beds, preparatory to an all-day ride along the 
base of the Bavarian Alps, and the Tyrolese Alps, 
snow-covered, till at 11 o'clock p.m., tired and hungry, 
we enter this city of nine hundred thousand inhab- 
itants — ^Vienna. 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 153 

The Vienna Exposition — Description of the building — Scenes 
and incidents — -The population of Vienna, etc., etc. 

Venice, July 22, 1873. 
Since my last communication Vienna has enter- 
tained us for three clays, and we have done what we 
could to see and learn. In 1855 Vienna had some 
70,000 population; in 1865 it had 500,000, and to- 
day has over 900,000 — a growth more rapid than 
any other known city, Chicago not excepted. A 
reason for it is found, in part, in the enterprise of 
the emperor, who caused the old city-walls to be 
demolished, and thus let the city spread ; and partly 
to the fact that it is the resident city of the nobility 
— some nine hundred of them living here, and spend- 
ing their wealth in efforts to outdo one another. 
Buildings are being constructed everywhere in great 
numbers, of good size and solidity, made mostly of 
brick, and stuccoed outside and inside, so as to re- 
semble stone-work. It is the best-built city in Eu- 
rope — widest streets, best paved, and kept cleanest. 
To ride through its magnificent parks and boule- 
vards gives one a very favorable impression. Its 
military, horse and foot, attract attention, and one 
begins to feel that he is under a government not 
like that at home. The nobility in their grand man- 
sions, or rolling through parks in gay equipages, 
spacious hotels and highly-draped servants, are not 
all. Among and under them is the teeming popula- 
tion of the laboring class — men, women, and chil- 
dren. Here we see women at work mixing mortar 
and carrying it up ladders in hods, like men, sweeping 
streets, drawing away filth, often with dogs to help 
them ; for here even dogs are harnessed, and com- 
pelled to earn their living. In short, in the markets, 
in the streets, and in the fields, women seem to be 
the working-class. So in trade — in stores and shops 
the women act as if they were as good as the men, 

not even omitting beer and tobacco. All this we 

7>}c 



154 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

cannot fail to see as we pass through the city to the 
great attraction of the place at present — the World's 
Fair, or Exposition. 

Each country presents its peculiar and best pro- 
ducts, and each seems to excel the other in some 
one thing — America in sewing-machines and mow- 
ing-machines ; England in iron-works and weaving- 
machinery ; France in silk and tasteful fabrics ; Italy 
and Greece in statuary; Germany in oil-paintings 
and lager-beer; Austria for the finest display of the 
largest number and variety of useful and ornamental 
things; Egypt, China, and Japan, of course, had 
their noted peculiarities in luxurious abundance. 
Please fancy the finest fabrics you have ever seen 
from these countries; then imagine them arranged 
under the most favorable circum'stances for exhibi- 
tion ; then add the greatest skill in their complete 
and unique arrangement, and even then you will 
fail to fancy it as it is. Take, for instance, one ar- 
ticle — thread, in spools of all sizes and colors, in 
balls, in skeins; then fancy them arranged in col- 
umns, turrets, windows,' domes, painting, sculpture 
— in short, a complete cathedral, well proportioned 
and thirty feet high, and you may fancy how one 
company show their thread. 

The buildings are situated on the east side of the 
city, inclosing one thousand acres, a part of which 
is made up of royal gardens. The building is shaped 
like the frame of a fish. The dimensions are almost 
three thousand feet in length, with sixteen transepts 
or thirty-two side-sections, like the ribs of a fish, so 
made that light enough maybe had in the main build- 
ing and transepts, and in many instances the spaces 
between the transepts have been filled with addi- 
tional buildings, till the whole single structure covers 
one hundred and seventy acres of ground. We enter 
at the west end, and enter at once rooms marked 
Korth America, and in the other transept South 



Letters from Eev. A. B. Whipple. 155 

America ; for the arrangement of nations is eastward 
in order, beginning with America, E'orthand South, 
two sections, then England five, Spain and Portugal 
one, France seven, Switzerland two, Italy three, Bel- 
gium two, Austria twenty-two, Russia three, Egypt 
one, China two, Turkey two, Japan two. AH this 
shows the comparative space in the main building oc- 
cupied by different nations, and some in parts by na- 
tions not named in the above list. Again, see samples 
of silk piled one above another in such a way as to 
represent the side of a room tapestried with animals, 
and trees, and flowers. Or see a huge shaft, like 
Bunker Hill monument, with medallions and inscrip- 
tions on its pedestal, white as marble ; go up and read: 

"i?2 memoriam of Mr. B , manufacturer of wax, 

porcelain, and spermacetti." Of all ingenious de- 
vices to attract attention and challenge notice, the 
most noteworthy of each nation can be found here. 
Do not think every thing is within the main building. 
There is a machine-shop of nearly the same length, in 
which, by steam-powder, is used a great variety of ma- 
chinery, doing very wonderful work. I saw a com- 
plicated machine making tapestry, or figured lace. It 
was a kind of loom, yet without any shuttle; farther 
I cannot describe it. Wood-work, iron-work, clay- 
work, leather-work, wool-work, cotton-work, silk- 
work, paper- work — nearly every thing but shoddy- 
work. Besides the main building, called the Palace 
of Industry, and the machine-hall just mentioned, 
there are a few others I might mention by name if 
you were willing to read through a list of names to the 
number of two hundred and eighty-eight, including 
many large houses filled with line arts, many illus- 
trating the war-weapons of different nations, large 
musical-instrument establishments, Swiss to^-shops, 
model school-houses and dwellings of many parts of 
the earth, agricultural halls, metal industries, model 
stables, not to omit restaurants- of and for all na- 



156 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

tions. Should I enumerate them all, without a more 
complete description, the story would be as tedious 
as the one, ''And another ant came and took a grain 
of corn." 

In the center of the Palace of Industry is a grand 
dome of twice the area of that of St. Peter's church 
at Rome. It is three hundred and forty-six feet in 
diameter, and seventy-five feet to the top of the pe- 
destal and base of the dome, with a circular walk 
within, from which we look down on the grandest 
display in the building. So far, we go up in an ele- 
vator; then, in a winding way, half round and up 
the dome, on the outside, for five hundred feet we 
walk, looking down upon all the surroundings of 
this World's Fair. Then, in a smaller circle by one- 
half, we walk around the outside and see the whole 
city, as a map, below ns. Korth of us flows the 
Danube, with its turbid waters, through a level 
country teeming with a busy population. A little 
to the north-east of us we see the famous battle-field 
of Wagram, where E"apoleon, by the charge of Mc- 
Donald, sacrificed fifteen thousand men to gain his 
point. At different points around the dome were 
placed telescopes, through which we aid the eye in a 
circle of twenty miles radius, and behold the pride 
and pomp of Austria. Still higher above us rises 
the dome, till, some three hundred feet from the 
ground, it is crowned with a most magnificent golden 
crown of Austria, reflecting every way the burning 
rays of the rising, midday, or setting sun. While 
underneath afterward, and within the Industrial 
Palace, we saw Francis Joseph II., the Emperor to 
whom for the present the crown belongs. 

Having seen the Fair, we took a little run among 
the churches — all remarkable for something, and 
each differing from the rest. I will mention only two 
or three. St. Peter's, built like the one in Kome, is 
very old, and contains an immense amount of genius, 



Letters prom Eev. A. B. "Whipple. 157 

in tlie shape of architecture, sculpture, and painting. 
The wealth of many rich men has been hivished on 
the adornment of the church — one of the ways by 
which the rich lessen the pains of purgatory. Many 
of the columns were covered with carved vines, 
among the branches of which were numerous little 
naked angels, or cupids, in every variety of attitude, 
with distended cheeks, as if blowing the praises of 
some one, once white and beautiful, no doubt, but 
now dark and dirty with age and dust. By the way, 
in parenthesis, this is true of much of the ancient 
statuary. Age has colored them dark and gloomy, 
and time has gnawed them with her teeth, till they 
are not what fancy painted them. Within this church, 
in a crypt, lies the son of I^apoleon, and in an urn 
the heart of Maria Theresa; and underneath an 
altar was a skeleton arrayed in gorgeous apparel, 
with glittering tiara, eye-sockets with jewels, bony 
fingers with flashing rings, patela bright with dia- 
monds, feet in finely-worked slippers. I was told it 
was the skeleton of one of the popes. Under another 
altar was another in like memorial habiliments. 
Never have I seen such a mocking contrast of death 
in life. The Cathedral of St. Stephen was, or is, 
worthy of note for several particulars. In it are the 
letters A. E. I. 0. U., the motto of Fredrick ; they 
are the initial letters of Latin words meaning, "Aus- 
tria must rule the world." Let Latin scholars guess 
the words. In its crypt is the burial-place of roy- 
alty. For the last two hundred years only their 
hoioels are buried here, their bodies in the Church of 
the Capuchins, and their A^^ar^s in the Church of the 
Augustines. Who would not be a king? 



158 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 



CHAPTER X. 

Letter from Vienna, by the Eev. Charles W. Gushing. 

Our party (Cook's Educational Party) reached 
Vienna on the evening of Jaly 17, via Munich. 
Thus far every step of our journey has been delight- 
ful beyond description, so that it really seemed that 
from the time we stepped on board the grand 
steamship Victoria, at ITew York, a good Providence 
bad been preparing the way for us; and now, 
tbougb we have heard rumors of cholera in Vienna, 
we are prepared to go forward without fear, for we 
found that the rumors, though not entirely without 
foundation, had greatly exaggerated the facts. It is 
sufficient to say, that without unusual precautions, 
excepting not to drink their miserable water, our 
party were never in better health than in Vienna. 

Thus far we have found no city in Europe which 
is laid out on a scale of such magnificence and 
grandeur as Vienna. The present emperor, while 
doing a good work abroad, is also doing nobly for 
his people at home. The magnificence, however, is 
not due to the influence of the emperor alone; for 
there is no other city in Europe which has so many 
resident nobility as Vienna. I^ot less than two 
hundred families of princes, counts, and barons live 
here. The city has a large number of parks, aside 
from the Eoyal Park (where the Exposition is held), 
which embraces one thousand acres, while many of 
the streets, which run entirely through and around 



Letter feom Rev. C. W. Gushing. 159 

the city, are laid out on a scale whicli would astound 
American economists. 

Many of the churches at Vienna, some of which 
are very old, have peculiar histories linked with 
them. The Maximilian, or Votive Church, not yet 
completed, is one of the most beautiful. Though 
not large, it is almost an exact copy of the Ca- 
thedral at Cologne. Its foundation was laid by the 
ill-fated Maximilian, of Mexican fame, who was a 
brother of the present Emperor of Austria. In 
1853 there was an attempt made upon the life of 
the Emperor Francis Joseph, and this church, it is 
said, was projected by Maximilian as a thank-offer- 
ing for the escape of the emperor from the hand of 
the assassin. It is hard to reconcile such religious 
consecration with the facts connected with the pri- 
vate lives of many of these men. 

In the Church of St. Augustine is the famous 
monument of the Archduchess Maria Christina, 
the masterpiece of the great Venetian sculptor, 
Canova. In Loretto Chapel, in this church, are the 
silver urns which contain the hearts of the imperial 
family who have died within the last two hundred 
years, such as Maria Theresa, Il^apoleon II., etc. 
The bodies of all these imperials are buried in the 
Church of the Capuchins. Maximilian is also en- 
tombed here. The old Church of St. Stephen's, 
which is exactly in the center of the old city, was 
begun early in the twelfth century, and is the larg- 
est and most important church of the city, though 
it contains nothing of special interest excepting the 
bodies of the Austrian Emperors who died prior to 
the last two hundred years. 

Bat these are things whose special features of 
interest are with the past. What makes Vienna an 
object of world-wide interest to-day, is her great 
International Exposition. Beyond question, this is 
much the largest and finest the world has ever seen, 



160 A Memphian's Tkip to Europe. 

and without doubt the largest it will see for a long 
time to come; for it is such a stupendous failure, 
financially, that no nation will venture to undertake 
another on so grand a scale for many years. The 
Exposition is here on a scale of grandeur which is 
bewildering, not to say overwhelming; but the 
people are not here. The admission is amazingly 
cheap (only twenty-five cents on ordinary days), 
and yet there is no crowd. Strangers are not in the 
city, only in small numbers. 

It is not possible to give those who read about it 
any thing like a just conception of its magnitude, 
still a few. statements, which must be for the most 
par^ repetitions of what has been said by others, 
may start thought in the right direction. 

The grounds on which the Exposition is located, 
and much of which is occupied in one way or 
another, embrace one thousand acres, all inclosed. 
The buildings containing the articles for exposition, 
cover about one hundred and seventy acres, and 
most of them are filled in every part to repletion. 
The main building is about three-fifths of a mile in 
length, with deep transepts on either side, as closely 
as they can stand together. When we first arrived 
at the Exposition, a friend and myself determined 
that we would first walk through the aisles of the 
main building, and its transepts, as quickly as we 
could, without stopping to examine any thing, 
merely to get an impression of its magnitude. By 
walking fast we were able to accomplish this in 
a day and a-half, and the hardest day and a-half of 
work I ever did. IN^ow, when you remember that 
on both sides of these aisles, displayed in the most 
fantastic manner, the best and the richest produc- 
tions of nearly every nation upon earth are arrayed, 
you may begin to get some conception of this Ex- 
position. But it must not be forgotten that this is 
only one building — that the machinery fills another 



Letter from Kev. C. W. Gushing. 161 

buildins: of the same leno^th as this — and that the 
department of line arts occupies still another build- 
ing, which is immense in size. Besides these, there 
are nearly two hundred buildings more, many of 
which are devoted to the exposition of useful and 
curious things from the different nations of the 
earth. 

The American department, witb one or two ex- 
ceptions, makes the poorest display, and for two 
reasons: We show very little that is ornamental, 
and we exhibit very little machinery. In regard to 
tbe first, we are a practical, utilitarian people, de- 
voting comparatively little time or money to orna- 
ment. So we have not much to show in this line. 
"We might have made a good display of machinery, 
but the Austrian government would give us no pro- 
tection in the matter of our patents, and our 
machinists and manufacturers would not send their 
machines here when they knew that their patents 
would be stolen and appropriated. But laying this 
aside, an American can't help feeling that, judged 
by the exhibition here, we must be grossly mis- 
judged. Still, the great disgrace comes from the 
mismanagement of our department. 

Whatever may be said of Mr. Van Buren, there 
can be no doubt that his appointment w\as an unfor- 
tunate one. From all I can gather from those who 
have been on the ground from the first, I conclude 
that Mr. Van Buren was not guilty of complicity, 
but that, though an able man in many directions, 
he had not the talent for organizing the machinery 
here, and setting it at work. The subordinates 
were, without doubt, in many instances, men who 
cared very little for our national display or reputa- 
tion, providing they could make money out of the 
operation. MV. Van Buren had not the ability to 
control them, and so was led into many schemes for 
which he was not personally, though he was ofiicially, 



162 A Memphia]n's Trip to Europe. 

responsible. Besides this, our Commissioners have 
been changing so often that there has been no well- 
defined plan of action, and hence no system. Taken 
away from the other nations, we have a good dis- 
play ; beside them, it is very meager. The want of 
system has put us at disadvantage in every way. It 
is only a week ago I was told by one of the depart- 
ment that boxes were found containing collections 
of our periodicals, and some other things, in one 
corner of the grounds, having been in the rain 
so long that every thing was spoiled. I suppose 
that every thing is being done now that can be, but 
it is too late to redeem ourselves this time. 

It is really marvelous to see the world brought 
together in an exposition of this kind. To study it 
is to get enlarged ideas of the race, and to feel that 
the nations upon which we are accustomed to look 
down, are not so far beneath us as we have been 
wont to think; and that in nMny things they can 
teach us important lessons which we ought not to 
fail to learn. We are a great people, but we are a 
small part of the world. We have made much pro- 
gress in many directions, but we have much more 
to learn, and the teachers are at hand. 



Letter from Miss Hattie Stanard. 163 



CHAPTER XI. 

Letter from Miss Hattie Stanard, of Des Moines, Iowa. 

New Yokk, August 27, 1873. 

Editor of School Journal: — Our party arrived 
in Miinich, Munchen, Saturday-evening, and after 
having our supper, all started for the gardens, of 
which that city contains many, and where we heard 
some very fine music; but we could not understand 
how those intelligent people could find pleasure in 
coming there night after night, with their whole 
families, and, from the oldest to the boy or girl five 
years old, each with a glass of beer, pass the even- 
ing that we enjoy so much at home. 

Sabbath-day some of our party broke by visiting 
a picture-gallery that would not be open any other 
day while we were j;here, but the more pious ones 
visited cathedrals, monuments, etc. The finest of 
all at Munich are the art collections, and first among 
these are the Glyptothek gallery of sculpture, and 
the Pinacothek, the gallery of paintings. In the 
latter we saw fine paintings from the Italian, Dutch, 
French, German, and Spanish schools, and one hall 
devoted entirely to Rubens. In order to appreciate 
them, one needs to study each of the fifteen hun- 
dred. Among those we noticed more particularly, 
in the short time we had to spend there, were Van 
Eyck's "Adoratibn of the Magi," Rembrandt's " De- 
scent from the Cross," Rubens's "Last Judgment," 



164 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

Yander "^"^erf's '^Ecce Homo," and Murillo's *' Beg- 
gar-boys eating melons and grapes." 

The finest church in Munich is Basilica of St. 
Boniface, built by King Louis, to commemorate the 
twenty-fifth anniversary of his marriage. The in- 
terior is elegant, with its sixty-four beautiful columns 
of gray marble, making a nave and four aisles. 
The walls are magnificently frescoed, and the paint- 
ings show the progress of Christianity in Germany. 

Some of the streets of Munich are broad and 
handsome, and in the square we saw some fine 
statues, especially one in Karolinenpeatz, about one 
hundred feet high, made of captured cannon, in 
memory of the Bavarians who fell in the army of 
Bonaparte in the Russian campaign ; also the bronze 
statue of Bavaria, outside of the city, representing 
a female with a sword in her right hand, and the 
wreath of victory in her left. On one side is the 
lion of Bavaria. It is sixty feet high, and stands 
upon a pedestal thirty feet high. With all the 
pleasing sights we saw in Munich, we saw" one that 
was not pleasant — women carrying the hod up a 
ladder to the top of a three-story building. We 
thought then, Munich! you have done well with 
the arts, but why not have elevated your women a 
little ? And we come to America feeling that Ameri- 
can women hold an euYiable position to the women 
of any country we have visited. 

At Munich Mr. Cook, who had been with us 
since we arrived in Glasgow, and who had been a 
kind fattier to us all, and done much to make each 
day pleasant, not only with his knowledge of the 
country, the railways, steamers, etc., but with his 
ever cheerful face and pleasant words, left us to the 
tender (?) mercies of a German conductor, who if 
he had had control of his temper iij any reasonable 
degree would have been quite passable. However, 
we soon learned to not address him unless we ex- 



Letter from Miss Hattie Stanard. 165 

pected our nervous system to be shattered beyond 
recovery for at least twenty-foui hours. 

Our next stopping-place v^^as Vienna (Wien), and 
as we rode through the streets v^e were reminded 
many -times of Paris by son*e of the buildings, the 
display of goods in the shop windows, etc. 

The next three days were spent at tjie Exposition, 
and when they were ended we felt almost as though 
we had seen the whole world together ; especiafly 
when we were in the Japanese department, and 
saw the Japanese women and men^at work, it 
seemed quite like being in their own country. The 
only real good glass of lemonade we had while we 
were in Europe we got at the American restaurant, 
on the Exposition grounds. It was hot and dusty 
in Vienna, and notwithstanding there was much of 
interest we had not seen, we were rather glad when 
we took the night express train for Mayence, a very 
old town, founded by the Romans; and in the walls 
of the citadel is a monument erected by the Roman 
legion in honor of Drusus, their commander-in- 
chief. Mayence is the strongest fortress in the 
German Confederation. There we saw a novelty, 
in the way of a bridge of boats, two thousand two 
hundred and twent}^ feet in length, made of fifty 
boats. 

And now we are going down the Rhine. Some 
one has very appropriately named this a *' river of 
romance," for who could ride on one of those nice 
little steamers, amid the beautiful scenery, hearing 
on all sides of him legends of castle and tower, 
without feeling romantically inclined? However, 
we heard of no serious cases in our party, and we 
think no rash act was done. 

We pass the old castle of Johannisburg, three 
hundred and forty feet above the river, surrounded 
by the vineyards from whence comes the celebrated 
Jo-hannis-bagger — as it is called— wine, called the 



166 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

finest wines of the Rhine. And then we come to 
"Bingen on the Rhine." E'othing of particular in- 
terest here, excepting that it was the home of the 
soldier ahout whom the beautiful poem was written ; 
so after saying the poem, and feeling sorry for the 
other, "not a sister," we turned our attention to the 
Mouse Tower, where Bishop Hatto's bones were 
picked. And then we are passing great vineyards, 
and as we go round a little bend in the river we see 
the fine old castle of Rhein stein, two hundred and 
fifty feet abc^e the river, and many other castles too 
numerous to mention here. As we look far down 
the river we see a train of cars coming, and we can 
scarcely realize that they are not a part of the nat- 
ural picture, and that the rocks were not placed 
there with tunnels already in them purposely for 
the cars to run through, but the shriek of the loco- 
motive brings us back from romance to the practi- 
cal. Far up above the river we see two castles 
called the "hostile brothers." The legend of these 
is of two brothers loving the same lady, which was 
the cause of the castles' hostility. Then Hildegarde, 
the lady, retired to a convent at the foot of the hill 
and the brothers were reconciled, and ever after 
lived in one castle. 

Stolzenfels was the most beautifully rebuilt castle 
we saw, though smaller than many. 

As we passed Fortress Ehrenbreitstein (Gibraltar 
of Germany), we saw the pyramid Byron speaks of 
in his Childe Harold. 

Beneath its base are hero's ashes hid, 
Our enemy's — but let not that forbid 
Honor to Marceau ! 

Here is where the "Blue Moselle" comes into the 
Rhine, or rather flows along by the side of it, for 
the Moselle does not mingle with the dark waters 
of the Rhine for some distance. 



Letter from Miss Hattie Stanard. 167 

"We pass the Castles of Drachenfels (Dragon's 
Rock) and Rolandseck, and in the distance see the 
seven mountains, while just by us is the island of 
!Nonnenworth, with its convent. 

So we go on, not stopping our sight-seeing even 
to eat, for the saloon and dinner-hour are so conven- 
iently arranged that we can eat and at the same 
time see all of interest that we are passing on either 
side. At 5 o'clock in the afternoon we land at 
Cologne, and our ride on the Rhine is ended. 
Cologne is not a nice looking place, neither is it a 
pleasantly scented place, as its name would imply; 
on the contrary, the perfume of its long, narrow, 
winding, dirty streets, is exceedingly disagreeable. 

A beautiful stone bridge, and a bridge of boats, 
connects Cologne and the beautiful little town of 
Dentz on the opposite side of the river. The great 
Cathedral here is an imposing Gothic building, 
commenced six hundred years ago, and as ftir as we 
could learn, it seems probable that it w^ill never be 
finished, although they keep busily working on it. 
The interior is four hundred and thirty feet long, 
and one hundred and forty in width; the transept 
is two hundred and thirt}^ feet in length, and the 
choir one hundred and forty feet«high; the part 
used for service has an area of seventy thousand 
square feet. Every thing about it is elegant. 

The most amusing thing we saw was the Church 
of St. Ursula, where our guide told us were the 
bones o^ eleven tliousand virgins! who were murdered 
on that spot on their return from a pilgrimage to 
Rome. We looked ver}^ sober about it, and of 
course believed it all, for could we not see for our- 
selves the bones, which were four feet deep and two 
feet thick in the walls of the church, sticking out 
through the little iron grates, and the skulls hang- 
ing all around the church, and the huge boxes of 
bones ? To be sure many of them looked like chick- 



168 A Mempiiian's Trip to Europe. 

en bones, and other kinds we were familiav with, 
but then they were not, no ! it could never have 
been, and we thought what a great scarcity of vir- 
gins there must have been after that. Then our 
guide took us into the Golden Chamber. We had 
to pay more to go in there, it was worth more, and 
I think he would have liked to have had us present 
certificates of good moral character before we went 
in. There we saw a thorn from the Saviour's crown, 
one of the very pots used in making the wine at 
the marriage of Can a, a box of teeth once used by 
the eleven thousand virgins, and other things too 
wonderful to mention. 

Every one bought cologne water at Cologne, and 
although hardly any two of the party purchased at 
the same place, yet each was positive that he had 
his from the " original Jean Antoine Marie Farina." 
Now we must say good-bye to Rhineland, for we are 
off to Brussels (Bruxelles) — Paris in miniature. 

We reached Brussels late in the afternoon, and 
after having our suppers, went to a palace garden 
in the upper part of the city, where we heard a fine 
instrumental concert, admission eight cents. Of 
course we had to go shopping. Who ever came 
away from Brussels without going shopping, even 
though he bought nothing? And as we went 
through the lace-stores, of which there are so many, 
and the manufactories, we thought — 

Here are tissues fit for angels, wrought with wreath, and point, 

and star, 
In most curious devices. Never saw I aught so rare — 
Where found you these frail webs, woven of the lightest sum- 
mer air? 

We visited the great square of Brussels, where 
"the sound of revelry by night" was heard and 
noted; Hotel de Yille, a fine old Gothic structure, 
its central tower three hundred and sixty-four feet 
high. In front are two statues, of Count Egmont 



Letter from Miss Hattie Stanard. 169 

and Horn, the Duke of Alva's victims, who per- 
ished there. 

We v^ere interested in the dog-teams drav^ing 
milk-carts, and loads of vegetables, to market, 
driven by old women with queer head-dresses 
and wooden slippers. There is a fine museum of 
paintings in Brussels, and a gallery well worth visit- 
ing of very original pictures, formerly owned by 
an artist named Wiertz, who is now dead. Before 
going there prepare yourself to be continually sur- 
prised, and in the most unexpected ways. 

Our stay at Antwerp (Anners) was short — only 
time for a visit to Kubens's two paintings, the " Ele- 
vation and Descent from the Cross." They are 
kept veiled in the cathedral. By paying two and a 
half francs (fifty cents) the veil was lifted and we 
could see them. 

In the Church of St. Jacques we visited the tomb 
of Rubens. In the Place Verte is a fine statue of 
the artist. 

The next morning we congratulated ourselves 
that we had crossed the English Channel twice 
without beino; sea-sick. We were soon back in 
London. 

After a call at 98 Fleet street, the office of Cook 
& Son, where we found letters from home, and got 
the latest news from over the ocean, we went to 
Westminster Abbey. Saw the monuments to Eng- 
land's greatest, best, and some of her worst, men. 
One can spend much time at the Abbey with inter- 
est. On Sunday morning we heard Spurgeon, and 
in the evening went to St. Paul's Cathedral. 

"It is," as some one has said, "in the sculptured 
marble you may, in Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, 
and the old cathedrals of the country, read Eng- 
land's history again, and seem to approach nearer, 
and have a more realizing sense of her great men 
and their deeds, than from the pages of the printed 
8 



170 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

volume." After this short visit to the Old World, 
we feel not at all satisfied, and are ready now for a 
long visit to the same places, and to many we have 
not seen. Mr. Cook came with us to Glasgow and 
saw us off on the "Italia." We were sorry to part 
with him, for we not only respected him and had 
confidence in him, but really liked him very much. 
The passage home was rough and "up hill," not 
nearly so pleasant as going over, and all were glad 
to see the spires of New York. 



Beautiful Venice. 171 



CHAPTER XII. 

"Beautiful Venice" — An Avalanche correspondent in the city 
of the sea — From Austria to Italy — Highly romantic scen- 
ery — Sights and impressions in Venice. 

Venice, July 22, 1873. 

Though I wrote you two long letters from Vienna, 
a day or two since, I want to say something of our 
route to this "water city" before I go out to see it. 
"We have just landed here out of the gondolas, 
after a travel of about twenty-four hours over a 
very interesting country by rail. The country for 
some two hours from Vienna is level, between ledges 
of mountains seen far away. It has a line crop of 
wheat ready for harvest, and being gathered, mostly 
by women, with reap-hooks. We then come to fields 
of corn, the first we have seen ;- it is small, but looks 
well. Then comes the pine, in rows, of different 
sizes, in plats like their wheat and corn. After 
these are past we strike in the highest mountains, 
and by winding round and round ascend them to a 
dizzy height. It was estimated that we traveled 
fi.vQ miles circuitously to advance one in the proper 
direction. After running to every point of the 
compass, we gain the heights, to behold the most 
romantic scenery I ever witnessed. The valleys 
below us, with fine little farms, "well tilled," nice 
little houses, perhaps well filled, and for aught I 
know, pretty little wives, "well willed." The ser- 
pentine road below almost as white as the snow- 



172 A Mbmphian's Trip to Europe. 

clad mountains above, upon which stand old castles, 
built in other ages for defense — still grand in their 
ruins — presented a scene it has never been my for- 
tune to witness before. It is the most remarkable 
structure in Europe. It was built by the Austrian 
government. The first twenty-five miles cost 
$7, 500,000. It is carried along the face of the preci- 
pices by fifteen tunnels — one of them is four thou- 
sand five hundred and eighteen feet through, two 
thousand two hundred and ninety-four feet above 
the level of the sea. The mountains are seven 
thousand seven hundred feet high, and on some of 
the peaks there are churches. These people seem 
to be religious. All along you see crucifixes at or 
near their houses. We all think this w^as the most 
interesting day of travel we ever had in any country. 
About nine o'clock we leave Austria, and enter 
Italian cars, and about two o'clock we have to col- 
lect our baggage for examination. This farce over, 
we roll on, but did not discover the sky to look 
more beautiful, as some say, but at daylight we saw 
one of the loveliest countries we have ever seen. It 
is level, and almost literally occupied by fruit-trees 
and vines, with vegetables between. When the 
sun arose there was a mellow yellow light, diflTerent 
from what we had seen before. It was lovely in- 
deed to behold. We arrive at Venice, or rather to 
the water, where a large number of boats are wait- 
ing for us. In a few moments we are aboard, four 
in a craft, and ofif to the Hotel Victoria. This was 
a novel sight to us all. To see these long, narrow 
craft, raised up at both ends, nearly half of it out 
of the water, fitted up like a carriage, gliding 
through the water by the boatman's oar, which he 
manages as dexterously as a fish his fins, was excit- 
ing. Ten of these novel craft soon run up a nar- 
row street, as they call them here, and land us 
safely, when in a few minutes I am writing this. 



Beautiful Venice. 173 

Breakfast over, our conductor announces that at 
nine he will have a guide for us to go to see the 
sights in this, in some respects, the most remarkable 
city in Europe, or anywhere else. We go until five 
o'clock P.M., and 1 return to my hasty scrawl to tell 
you something of what we have seeo among the 
show^s. 

Seeing the Sights. — We first go to the palace of 
the king, a large old building. His dominion now 
is a small one compared with those who once occu- 
pied it. They claim a republic, and have as much 
as they are prepared for improving. 

Venice is literally crammed with objects of inter- 
est, principally historical. A city of such antiquity, 
and once the mistress of half the power of Europe, 
must be of the deepest interest to all who reflect 
npon it. The next place we visit is the Church of 
St. Mark, near by. It is very old, having been 
begun in 900, and not finished until 1600. It is of 
Saracenic architecture, with Gothic additions, with 
the celebrated bronze horses of Constantinople 
over the doors, and the richest pictures within. 
These horses are the ones which Constantine carried 
from Rome to Constantinople. Manni Zeno brought 
them here in 1205. They were taken to Paris by 
ITapoleon 1797, but restored to Venice in 1815. A 
great dome rises in the center, and four smaller 
ones around the arms of the cruciform structure. 
A multitude of pillars and white domes clustered 
into a long pyramid of colored light, seems partly 
of gold, opal, and mother-of-pearl. Angels, and 
signs of heaven, and the labors of men are seen 
around. Underfoot and overhead a combined 
succession of crowded imagery, one picture passing 
another — faces beautiful and terrible, mixed to- 
gether. Dragons and serpents, ravening beasts and 
graceful birds drink from running fountains — the 
passions and pleasures of life symbolized together, 



174 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

and the mystery of its redemption carved on every 
place. Such things may have been useful in their 
day, but I think that day is forever gone among 
intelligent people. Yet this is the place where they 
say that St. Mark is buried, and their church is 
named for that apostle. A funeral is going on of a 
man w^ho has been dead long, long ago, but gave a 
large sum to have his funeral celebrated three days 
every year, and this is the last one this year. They 
sung and played finely, I suppose, but, so far as 
worshiping God is concerned, it was mockery. 

"W"e go out to look at the clock-tower, and see the 
hours struck by two bronze figures on a bell. The 
Ducal Palace is the great work of Venice. The 
Giant's Causeway forms the main entrance, and the 
grand council-room the largest, which is one hun- 
dred and seventy-four feet, by thirty-five high. 
Many other rooms are filled with paintings and 
statuary, some of which would not be on exhibition 
in our country. At one place they say eight hun- 
dred faces are painted on the largest painting in 
Europe. 

On the Gondolas Again.— At one o'clock we take ten 
gondolas at the hotel door, and away we go through 
the streets, the oarsmen jabbering away like black- 
birds, and to us with no more meaning. They 
seemed to be proud of their calling. We go to see 
another very fine and costly church of more modern 
date. It would seem that all had been done that 
could be in the way of glittering decoration, statu- 
ary, and paintings, as usual in the churches, to 
make the grandest display possible. 

In this there are seven chapels, built by seven 
noble families, I suppose to perpetuate their name. 
I will attempt no description of this monumental 
folly. The architecture is more modern, and all its 
equipments have only been finished a hundred 
years — this they call new. We go to see the glass 



Beautiful Venice. 175 

m an n factory. This, however, is more of the gaudy 
trinkets than for service. We pass the American 
Consul's residence, on the main canal, which is 
some eighty or one hundred yards wide. The city 
is built on a cluster of islands in a lagoon, which is 
separated from the Adriatic by a long, narrow sand 
bank, divided by several inlets, which are the en- 
trance for ships. This canal winds through the city 
in a kind of double curve, nearly. in the shape of an 
S. It is a marine Broadway, on which may be seen 
hundreds, if not thousands, of boats, doing the 
same work that is done in our thoroughfares by 
hacks, drays, and 'buses. There are one hundred 
and forty-six smaller canals, or streets, forming a 
net-work all through the city; yet one can walk 
from one to the other with a guide, by means of 
arched bridges to let the boats pass under. 

The canal, however, is the great highway, and 
the gondola is the vehicle used for traveling. The 
great place of resort is St. Mark's Square. I walked 
down in the evening, and there were thousands of 
persons there. The area is five hundred and sev- 
enty-six feet, b}^ from one hundred and eighty-five 
to two hundred and sixty-nine in breadth, and 
extends to the harbor, w^here ships and other boats 
come, and where a fine view is had of the harbor, 
and the Adriatic Sea. This is a great place of re- 
sort by the citizens and travelers in the evening. 
We visited another old church of the monks, who 
showed us through it, but I need not repeat. We 
had a fine sail with our fleet out in the harbor some 
distance, the gondola-men singing several songs, the 
boats all abreast. I failed to mention our visit to 
the famous prisons, and the terrible Bridge of 
Sighs, with which your readers are familiar. It is 
approached by long, narrow, dark passages, to the 
execution block upon which thousands of heads 
have been severed. The Venetian guide explained 



176 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

and commented on these things to some extent. 
My sheet is full; the Urst day in Venice is closed," 
and I will terminate my scrawl and renew after the 
morrow's tour. 



Venice — The art galleries and the Koyal Palace — Characteris- 
tics of the Italians — Among the gondoliers, etc. 

Venice, Italy, July 24, 1873. 
Soon after I mailed my letter to you this morning 
we started out with our guide to see the Gallery of 
Fine Arts. We go by to see the place where Luther 
preached before the Reformation, about which I need 
say nothing, except that another reformation is very 
much needed all over this country. We go to this 
gallery, said to be one of the finest in Europe. Vol- 
umes might be filled in describing and giving the 
history of them. I will mention some of them, which 
impressed me more forcibly than others — one of the 
" Creation," " Queen Esther's visit to Solomon ;" the 
"Four Evangelists," one Matthew with the eagle, an- 
other with the ox, John with a child, the other one is 
St. Luke. A very large painting, representing the 
"Ascension of Mary," with those below and the an- 
gels above to receive her is very fine. This is regarded 
as the best of the artist's, three of which were 
shown near each other; the first painted when he 
was fourteen, next at forty-five, and the last at ninety- 
nine years, having died before it was finished. 
Then there was the "Coronation of Mary" — fine. 
"Death on the Pale Horse" was very solemn; the 
"Conversion of Ten Thousand Venetians to the 
Christian (Catholic) Religion," hy Palmer; "St. 
Mark working a Miracle;" "The Woman taken in 
Adultery;" "First Miracle of Christ — turning the 
waterinto wine at the marriage at Cana of Galilee;" 
"His Washing the Disciple's Feet," and "His 
Transfiguration;" "Solomon's Judgment about 



Venice. 177 

the two Mothers claiming the child;" "The Sup- 
per after the Resurrection;" "Resurrection of 
Lazarus;" "Rich Man and Lazarus;" "Christ in 
the House of the Pharisee," and in "St. Luke's 
House;" "His Ascending," and the "Taking 
Down from the Cross," are all very impressive 
paintings. "The Destruction of the Temple," 
"John the Baptist," "Bonaparte," "Hercules," and 
hundreds of others. After spending some time in 
these galleries we started to see the interior of the 
king's palace ; on the way we go to see " Shylock's " 
place, a building four hundred feet by seventy-two, 
where the law was read to the people ; a stone pil- 
lar in which was cut the shape and size of the 
smallest fish that was to be caught or sold, also the 
size of the oyster; Post newspaper, bank, and first 
church, built in 42L The bond-broker here gave 
the original name "Shylock," where all sorts of 
trickery was carried on. His descendants are here 
still, while his posterity have scattered all over the 
world. It was well worth visiting, not only for its 
history, but from what is seen at present. 

The king's palace is a grand old establishment, 
large enough to contain a town of considerable size. 
We are taken through the largest and most impor- 
tant rooms, and told what they were for, but have 
not time, nor would you have the patience to read 
it. There are twenty-nine finely furnished rooms 
on a side, nine hundred rooms in the building. 
Victor Emmanuel visits this palace once or twice a 
year, his residence now being at Rome. His audi- 
ence-room, reception-room, and the ball-room are 
the largest. 

This was built when monarchy was the power 
that men worshiped. ISTow that power is on the 
wane, and the buildings are to a great extent va- 
cant, though furnished in the most gorgeous and 
costly style. We were shown some very important 
8* 



178 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

works of art, which. ISTapoleon took to France, hut 
after his reign the Congress of Vienna had them 
returned. This people have what their ancestors 
looked on with reverence, but their glory has 
departed. Their living king has a large likeness 
hanging in his room, but he is gone to the center 
of his power, Rome. I have procured some photo- 
graphs of him and others, with stereoscopic views 
of the palace, St. Mark's Church, and other places 
and things in this unique city, whose glory has. de- 
parted. It is now only about the size it was four 
hundred years ago, some one hundred and thirty 
thousand, or one hundred and forty thousand, pent 
up in their water-bound homes. We return to the 
hotel to rest an hour, and are off in gondolas to see 
other things of interest. We walked each morning 
on our routes. We pass out the streets into the 
harbor, our guide, with our United States flag, lead- 
ing the way round to see their arsenal. In this 
they have preserved well the arms with which they 
fought in the past ages of their history; also, the 
models of their boats they used at the same time. 
Their cannon-balls were stone, some eighteen inches 
in diameter, shot out of leather guns (cannon they 
call them). Their fighting galley was a queer craft 
about A.D. 1500. One of these ships was one 
hundred and twenty feet long, by twent3^-one wide, 
twenty-four high, built in 1571, and carried four 
hundred and sixty-eight men. They have hundreds 
of weapons of olden times, and some of them show 
superior skill. They have guns showing precisely 
the principle of Colt's revolver. Also, breech- 
loading cannon, and revolving barrels, shooting 
twenty times. The regular Damascus sword is here 
shown, used just before powder was invented. 
There was a model of a gondola built of gold in 
1500; it is the same size and. form as they have 
them now. This was built for their king. The 



Venice. 179 

guide said that E"apoleon stole the gold of whicli it 
was made. 

Their law requires all their boats to be black, 
with a representation of a sea-horse at the bow, all 
just alike, and numbered. They also carry printed 
rates of fare in them. Cheap traveling. They 
showed us the sword with which they beheaded 
criminals, and the model of a ship the British burned 
before it was finished. They have preserved the 
armors worn in the past ages, and many other 
things in which they seem to glory as worthy of 
veneration, as well as preservation. As we went 
into the arsenal a crowd of boys commenced revolv- 
ing on the stone pavement. Some pennies were 
thrown, to see them scamper after them, as the 
pigeons at St. Mark's Square for corn. One little 
fellow had his shirt off, or had none, and some of 
our party gave him some money. As we returned 
they all had their shirts off, and followed us some 
distance, swimming alongside to get money. These 
people I think are a superior race to many we have 
seen, but are indolent. They stay in their houses 
in the daytime, and crowd St. Mark's Square in the 
evening. There seems to be no business doing, 
only a little huckstering. How they live I know not. 
No business seems to be doing anywhere, save the 
selling of some things in the shops. 

We row across the harbor, some two miles, over 
to a neck of land, one-fourth of a mile, and see the 
Adriatic rolling its weaves up on the beach. We 
gather some shells to remind us of our pleasant 
voyage, which gives us a fine view of the suburbs 
of Venice (islands). They built the city on seventy- 
two islands, so as to be protected from their ene- 
mies, by whom they were surrounded. 

They are a gay, and, apparently, a happy people, 
who are fond of luxurious ease, if such a term can 
be applied to them. It is very obvious that they 



180 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

have greatly retrograded from what their ancestors 
were. In the darkness which succeeded the fall of 
Rome, Italy was the first country to burst the tram- 
mels in which the world had been so long buried. 
Political freedom first arose amidst the contests of 
the popes with the German emperors. And in the 
republics of Italy the human mind was developed 
to an extent which Rome never equaled. Europe 
is indebted to Italy of the middle ages for its first 
lessons of political wisdom, literature, and arts. We 
must ever regard with admiration and respect a 
people who have done so much in the great cause of 
human amelioration. Theirs is the most brilliant 
history on record. 

The worst thing that Louis J^apoleon did, I think, 
was, while allowing some liberty in France, he kept a 
standing army in Italy to keep this people in sub- 
jection to the papal dominion. And it is a most 
remarkable fact that just as their Council declared 
the pope's infallibility, a war was declared by 
which that power was destroyed, not only here, but 
in France. The Protestant rises upon the fall of pa- 
pacy. I see I must not moralize — no time for that. 

Our fleet returns to Venice. The "Stars and 
Stripes," sung over by the gondola-men and Amer- 
icans, are complimented everywhere we go. Dine 
at 6 o'clock, and go out again to St. Mark's Square 
to see the assembled thousands in their nightly 
amusements. 

My sheet is full. We are to be off on the morrow 
to Florence, and thence to Rome, to spend the Sab- 
bath, and four days, in the most important city of 
Europe. 



From Venice to Florence — Observations by the wayside — The 
ruins and beauties of Italy. 

Florence, Italy, July 25, 1873. 

After I mailed my letter to you yesterday at Yen- 



Florence. 181 

ice, I went up on tbe tower on St. Mark's Square, 
where I had a line view of the cit}', with the harbor, 
and Adriatic Sea. The city occupies all the space 
there is, except what the canals and streets use. 
The houses are built on piles, driven down, which 
after a time become petrified, forming a very sub- 
stantial basis for these old buildings. The country 
from here to Bologna is the most delightful. There 
are trees planted in perfect street-rows, about fifty 
yards apart, and the trees ten or twelve; on these 
the vines grow and hang from one to the other, 
forming a continuous grapery. These trees are 
mulberries, the leaves of which constitute the food 
for the use of the silk-worms. We saw them gath- 
ering them. They make two crops in this country. 
Their grain is harvested, and they are planting for 
another crop. I observed ten oxen to a plow. The 
finest cattle I ever saw are here, all white. There 
are a great many roads, all as smooth as a floor, 
and almost as white as snow. The contrast with 
the wilderness of trees and vines, with their mag- 
nificent avenues of Lombardy poplar, combine the 
beautiful with the grand in a most lovely manner. 
We see churches, with their little spires pointing to 
the heavens; old castles, and ruined walls of cities 
and forts, showing these people to have been warlike 
in other days. Now they seem to be an industrious 
and thrifty population. Their rivers are levee(J very 
high, so that they keep the water in the proper 
channel. They raise a good deal of hemp, which 
they are now pulling. Indian corn constitutes a 
part of their crop. We stop a while at Bologna, 
change cars, and our direction also. 

In Florence. — This place is one of the most ancient 
and important towns in Italy. It was anciently the 
capital of Romagna. It is situated in a fertile plain, 
at the base of the Apennines; population about 
ninety thousand, one hundred and thirty churches, 



182 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

twenty monasteries, and a venerable university with 
four hundred pupils— in 1200 it had ten thousand. 
It is now antiquated, as well as the town. Here the 
celebrated Council of Trent was held in 1547. In 
1796 it was annexed to the Republic by Kapoleon. 
In 1815 it again became subject to the States of the 
Church. In 1831 and 1849 revolutions broke out, 
and in 1869 the town finally united itself with Italy. 
The numerous old palaces and venerable churches, 
surmounted by quaint-looking towers, all bear testi- 
mony to the peculiar character of the place. Its 
glory has departed, never again to return. We soon, 
after leaving here, pass into a very mountainous re- 
gion, grand and gloomy. On some of the highest 
are old churches, which seem almost inaccessible at 
first, but we discover a serpentine road up to them. 
The sunset here is lovely beyond description, but it 
and its influence is gone, and we pass through forty- 
six tunnels (some of them over a mile long), on to 
this place at 11 p.m. We had quite an excitement 
on the train last night. It stopped for five minutes. 
Miss Conkey and Miss Pegues, both of Oxford, 
Mississippi, were in our car and got out. Miss Gar- 
rington, from Virginia, who was in another, also 
got out. Not knowing how short the time was, 
they were both left. Mr. Richardson, under whose 
care they were traveling, knowing they were not in, 
pled with the conductor to wait, but he could not. 
The station-master regulated that, and off goes the 
train, leavingthe ladies. We supposed only the one in 
our car was left, but after we learned the other, who 
spoke Italian, was left also, we were relieved. Mr. 
Richardson was very indignant, saying, "I told him 
in 'plain English' they were left, but he would not 
stop." His plain English was not good Dutch to the 
conductor, as he knew nothing of English. Our con- 
ductor got a dispatch from them at the next station, 
and I expect to meet them at the breakfast-table soon. 



Floeence. 183 

While at breakfast Colonel ]N"otoman called to see 
me to take me out to see the city. He had his 
accomplished daughter Avith him, who has been at 
school several years in Europe, near Paris, and in 
E,ome. She speaks Italian, as well as German, 
French, and other languages. Rev. Dr. Speer and 
myself took a seat with them, and spent several 
hours very pleasantly. We went first to an emi- 
nence outside of the city, where we had a fine view 
of the whole city below. Then to the king's palace, 
where we saw many things of interest in the way 
of paintings, statuary, and Mosaic, the finest of 
that kind I ever saw. There were some tables 
of Mosaic work that were said to have cost $125,000. 
Here was the most imaginative statue yet — Cain 
and Abel, the latter lying down dead. There were 
many artists copying paintings of the most cele- 
brated artists, as here only are the originals of some 
of them. 

From here we went to the Cathedral. It was the 
celebration of high-mass, and the music was the 
most lively I ever heard in a church. There were 
four chapels in which candles were burning, and 
in three of them worship was being performed in 
the most military style I have ever seen. These 
people are devout and religious, in their way, and, 
however we may differ, I have a profound respect 
for their sincerity. The Cathedral is a magnificent 
old building. The dome is two hundred and ninety- 
eight feet, with the lantern three hundred and fifty- 
four. Its length is ^ve hundred and fifty-five feet, 
and three hundred and forty across the transepts. 
The choir is underneath the dome. We went home 
with our friend and spent some hours very pleas- 
antly with him and his family. His wife is a very 
superior woman, in bad health, but full of mental 
vigor. Her brother was the American Consul, and 
resided several years at Venice. I learned more 



184 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

here about Italian matters than any place I have 
been. Every thing is almost as cheap as labor. 
His servants receive only from four dollars to six 
dollars per month. He lives in a palatial residence 
with nine large rooms, all famished by the owner 
in princely style, every thing but his linen, and it 
costs only forty dollars per month rent, and the use 
of every thing in the house, and a fine garden and 
yard. Here I saw the first magnolias, which re- 
minded me of home. I would prefer living here to 
any place I have seen in Italy. Having once a 
school-mate who resided here, I learned more about 
it than other places. They have good water, which 
we have found scarce in Italy. Mountains all around 
almost, and the clear little river running through it 
gives it the appearance of health and comfort. 
Some of the streets look very much like ours — 
stores and a passing crowd. 

This is market-day with them. We saw the 
crowd of men, not women, as we have mentioned 
at other places. Florence has been the capital of 
Italy since 1864, until the recent war, by which 
Italy has become comparatively free from popery, 
and the capital is now, and since 1871, at Rome, 
where Victor Emmanuel resides. It ranks with 
Rome, ITaples, and Venice as one of the most at- 
tractive towns of Italy. Rome was in ancient times 
the grand center of Italian development — the 
modern metropolis since the middle ages superseded 
it as the focus of intellectual activity. The modern 
Italian language has emanated from Florence. The 
fine arts have here attained the zenith of their 
glory. It is situated in a valley on both banks of 
the Arno, a small stream picturesquely inclosed 
by the Apennines, about three thousand feet high. 
The city has undergone great improvements. As 
early as the fifteenth century it had ninety thousand ; 
now it has about one hundred and fifty thousand. 



Florence. 185 

It was founded bv the Romans before the Christian 
era. 

The walls of the city, like Vienna, have been re- 
cently almost entirely removed. They were con- 
structed at the same time of their cathedral, between 
1285 and 1388. The ancient gates have been spared. 
A number of broad, new streets have been con- 
structed on the site of the old fortifications. There 
are six bridges connecting the town. The city pos- 
sesses eighty-seven churches, and a number of 
grand old houses and palaces, which bear testimony 
to its ancient prestige. The hall, which has been 
fitted up for the Italian Parliament, was the great 
hall constructed in 1495; but parliament, king, and 
all have gone to Rome, whither we are bound to- 
night. So I leave you to look over this hasty 
scrawl, as it is six o'clock — dinner-time — and though 
I have dined with my friend, Colonel Notoman, 
and having to travel till nine o'clock, will need an- 
other meal. 

The Colonel and his lovely daughter are to take 
us out again to see Florence at night; so that I 
shall close abruptly, as the waiter says, "Monsieur, 
dinner." 



The Eternal City — What a Memphian saw in Eome — Scenes 
on the banks of the Tiber — The great Cathedral — Statuary, 
paintings, etc. 

Eome, July 26, 1873. 

After I finished my letter yesterday, my friend, 
Colonel Kotoman, came round for me to ride with 
him and his daughter again. We took Miss Syl- 
vester, of Boston, with us, and visited the Protest- 
ant cemetery, to see the new-made grave of Hiram 
Powers, who died here recently. We also saw 
Theodore Parker's grave, who died here in 1860. 
We went through their fine park, and other places. 
We leave Florence at 11 p.m. At daylight the same 



186- A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

beautiful country of which I spoke is seen until we 
get within an hour or two of Rome. The trees now 
are the olive, instead of mulberry, on which the 
grape-vines run. The people are at work by light. 
There are more horses and cattle here than any place 
we have seen. For some distance we pass through 
a hilly, poor country, until we get near the city, 
where the hills are covered with vines and fruit. 

The Eternal City. — The long-sought city appears, 
but we see not St. Peter's. It is on the north side 
of the Tiber. Our hotel is centrally located, near 
the summit of a hill that overlooks the entire city. 
A dozen fountains pour out of a stone boat within 
a few steps of us. Rome, unlike any city we have 
seen in Europe, has an abundance of excellent cool 
water flowing from hundreds of fountains, some 
very large, all over the city. The streets are much 
wider, and generally straight. We arrive at 9 a.m. 
Breakfast over we are off, some to one place, some 
to another; I to picture galleries, statuaries, etc. 
Dine at five, after which Rev. Dr. Speer, two ladies, 
and myself, take a carriage to visit the Imperial 
Gardens, park, and public buildings. St. Peter's, 
seen in the distance, did not meet my expectations, 
but when we got there, and went inside, it far sur- 
passed them. As I am going there to church to- 
morrow, I will say nothing more of it now. We 
saw a grand funeral procession of men clothed in 
black, head and face covered, singing. The coffin 
was covered, and carried on the shoulders of four 
men. We went to the Church of the Cardinals, 
and St. Andrews, but did not go in. The Pantheon ! 
We must see the interior. It was near dark, and 
they were concluding service. There was a gloomy 
grandeur about it we have never seen before. The 
streets are crowded now by thousands as we pass 
several other important public places. 

Sunday morning, soon after breakfast, we start 



The Eternal City. 187 

with ten ladies to see several places of interest. The 
first is the temple of Vesper and Clolenda. These, 
with the House of Hienzi, in the same vicinity, 
have been excavated from the ruins of the old city. 
They show great antiquity, and that even marble 
must decay or wear away by the teeth of time. We 
go next to the Protestant burying-ground, near the 
Porta San Paola, adjoining the Pyramid of Calus 
Cestinus. There are buried the poets Shelley and 
Keats. I copied the following from the tomb of 
Shelley: "Percy Bysche Shelley, Cor Cordium 
Natus, MDCCXCii, Obit 8. l^othing of him that doth 
fade; but doth sufier many changes, into some thing 
rich and strange." 

We pass on through the ruins of the city, now 
covered with grape-vines and fruit-trees, where once 
millions lived, to St. Paul's Church, some two miles. 
This church does not possess the imposing exterior 
of St. Peter's, but within it is finer, and more mod- 
ern in its architecture. There are some of the most 
splendid paintings here we have seen anywhere. 
" The Crucifixion of St. Peter with his head down- 
ward;" the "Ascension of Mary, and the angels 
above her;" "The Martyrdom of Stephen;" "The 
Death of Ananias and Sapphira;" "The Transfigu- 
ration;" "Moses and Elias Appearing," and "The 
Apostles Peter, James, and John." All these 
were very impressive scenes. There was a consid- 
erable noise of worship, to which we went, and 
found three men reading aloud. These constituted 
all the worshipers we saw. It is too far away to be 
of much service, only as a magnificent work of art 
and genius. Much might be said of it, but we 
hasten on to the Capitol, which occupies the square 
of Capitoline Hill, the site of the ancient capitol, 
and contains the palaces, senators, and magistrates 
of Rome. Here we saw the most ancient sculpture, 
obtained from the ruins of Rome. Many men re- 



188 A MexMphian's Trip to Europe. 

nowned in history are seen here— Julius Cesar, 
Augustus Cesar, and the Popes and Emperors of 
Rome. Here is where Brutus performed his bloody 
deed, and this square is where he harangued the 
populace after the assassination so remarkable in 
history. This I know, but I do not that St. Peter 
and St. Paul are both buried under the altar of the 
churches named after them. They say a part of 
them is in each church. We go from here to St. 
Peter's again, and spend two hours in this, the 
largest church in the world. It stands on a slight 
acclivity, in the north-west corner of the city. It is 
built in the form of a Latin cross, the nave being, 
in length, six hundred and tw^enty-nine feet; the 
transept, four hundred and forty- four; the east 
front is three hundred and ninet}^- six feet wide, one 
hundred and sixty high; height of the dome, four 
hundred and sixty-five feet. In front of the church 
is a large piazza. It is the place of ITero's Circus, 
and where they say St. Peter was martyred. 

It was one hundred and seventy-six years being 
built, and required three hundred and fifty years to 
complete it. Cost over fifty million dollars. I shall 
attempt no description of it now. There are eight 
acres of ground covered by it. I observed confes- 
sionals all about, and at one place counted seventy 
persons said to be waiting their turn. The subter- 
ranean church contains many tombs of popes, em- 
perors, and kings, including the Stuarts. 

There are some of the imposing ceremonies that 
have been regularly performed here that are now 
prohibited by Victor Emmanuel. He having taken 
possession of the city now nearly three years, is 
showing the people that he is their king, and not 
the pope. At Christmas, Easter, and on the festival 
of Sts. Peter and Paul (June 28th), the pope used to 
celebrate high-mass here in person. "The papal 
regime, illuminated in the evening by four thousand 



Rome. 189 

* four hundred lamps, throwing the lines of the archi- 
tecture into singularly prominent relief, and one 
and a quarter hours after sunset this illumination 
was changed hy four hundred workmen for a blaze 
of torch-light. This remarkable spectacle, however, 
will probably never again be witnessed." This 
is one of the things prohibited by Victor Em- 
manuel. 

The pope has not come out of the Vatican since 
the occupation of the city by the Italian troops, on 
the 20th of September, 1870. 

After dinner we have service in the parlor of our 
hotel, after which I go with a friend up to the Royal 
Gardens and Park, where a fine view of the city 
and surroundings is obtained. Here we have a fine 
Italian sunset. Soon after we return the Walden- 
sean minister calls to see Dr. Speer and myself, and 
we go with him to his church service, which is 
much like the Presbyterian service. We return to 
hear Professor Wood, our archaeologist, lecture over 
an hour on what he is to show us to-morrow of the 
antiquities of Eome. 



July 28, 1873. 

Sketch of Home. — Rome, the capital of the king- 
dom of Italy, the city of the popes, and once of the 
Cesars, is on the Tiber, partly on a plain and partly 
on low hills, with their vallej^s, about sixteen miles 
from the mouth of the river. The walls, fifteen 
miles in circuit, surround the entire city. It is 
passed by open gates, with large arches turned over 
them. They are built up with flat brick about one 
and a half inches thick, with mortar about as thick 
between them. Stones of all sizes seem to be 
worked in the wall. The modern city is built to 
the north of the seven hills which formed the ancient 
city of Rome. Four of these hills, once the scene 



190 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

of so many exciting events, are now almost entirely 
deserted, or covered by gardens, vineyards, or 
broken buildings, or ruins. It is said to be the best 
watered city in the world. Present population, two 
hundred and twenty-five thousand. The walls have 
an average height of fifty feet. There are twelve 
gates by which to enter it. The Arch of Titus, 
built on his return from his war against the.Jews, 
continued and dedicated by his son, A.D. 80. It 
was calculated to hold from eighty thousand to one 
hundred thousand people, to witness the gladiators' 
and wild-beast combats. At its inauguration five 
thousand wild-beasts and ten thousand captives 
were slain. The early Christians stained it. with 
their blood. By far the greater portion of the area 
inclosed by the walls inhabited during the Imperial 
period by two millions, is now uninhabited. The 
once densely populated streets are now the bleak 
walls of vineyards. The modern city is divided by 
the River Tiber, spanned by five bridges. 

According to the census of 1867, there were six 
thousand two hundred and sixty-seven clergymen, 
four thousand nine hundred and forty-five nuns, 
four thousand six hundred and fifty Jews, four 
hundred and fifty-seven Protestants, seven thousand 
three hundred and sixty soldiers. We have been 
six hours to-day with Professor Wood explaining 
ancient Pome. I have taken extensive notes, but 
shall not give a synopsis of them now. We go out 
again this afternoon to see several places, among 
them the prison in which St. Paul was confined for 
two years before his martyrdom. 

This is a w^onderful city, the one that has been, 
and is now being excavated, more so than the one 
on the surface. We saw one of the modern palaces 
to-day, only three or four hundred years old, filled 
with antiquities from the excavations made by 
Louis Napoleon. 



Rome. 191 

I mentioned in one of my letters from Rome that 
I had taken memoranda of which I had not time to 
write. As these letters may be published in a more 
permanent form, I am inclined to write something 
more about this most interesting city in the world. 

So many objects of interest present themselves to 
the traveler that he scarcely knows which has the 
strongest claims to his attention. I will, from my 
notes, and "Walks in Rome, by Augustus H. Hare," 
with your permission, give the readers of the Ava- 
lanche something more relative to this ancient and 
renowned City of the Cesars. 

From my boyhood I have desired to see this 
great city, which for so many centuries controlled 
the destinies of the civilized world. My feelings 
on arriving there were different from any other city 
we had visited. I could scarcely realize that I was 
in the "Eternal City," when I found at the railroad 
station a crowd of hackmen, porters, etc., and car- 
riages awaiting our arrival. I expected to see St. 
Peter's rising above the horizon in stately grandeur, 
but it was within the horizon, and was so much less 
conspicuous from the nature of the ground it occu- 
pies on the opposite side of the Tiber. In front 
rise the Alban hills, the white villas on their sides 
distinctly visible for more than thirty miles. On 
the left were the Apennines, and Tivoli was dis- 
tinctly seen on the summit of its mountain. We 
had a good hotel, in the best part of the city, to see 
most of its wonders. A stranger's first lesson to 
learn in a European city is its geography. Having 
our own experienced conductor, Mr. Piaggy, and 
Professor Wood for guide and lecturer, we lost but 
little time in that study, but proceeded soon after 
our arrival to see the city, which for ages has been 
the capital of the Catholic world. Monks have 
come hither to obtain the foundation of their or- 
ders, priests and bishops from distant lands coming 



192 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

here to receive the highest dignity which Christen- 
dom could confer. And kings and emperors have 
come here to ask coronation at the hands of the 
reigning pontiff; but we came as the "Italian sec- 
tion" of "the Educational party," to learn all 'we 
could in the allotted time of this city, which has been 
daguerreotyped upon our minds from childhood's 
days. There was one remarkable personage whose 
visit to Kome is worthy of reference in this connec- 
tion. It was Martin Luther, a young monk, ob- 
scure and fervent, little dreaming that ten years 
later he would burn the bull of the pope in the 
public square of Wittenberg. His heart experienced 
nothing but pious emotions. He addressed to 
Eome, in salutations, the ancient hymn of the Pil- 
grims. He cried, "I salute thee, holy Rome, 
venerable through the blood and tombs of the 
martyrs." But after prostrating on the threshold, 
he raised himself, and he entered into the temple, 
but he did not find the God he had looked for 
in the city of the saints and martyrs; it was a city 
of murderers and prostitutes. The arts which 
marked this corruption were powerless over the 
stolid senses, and scandalized the austere spirit of 
the German monk. He scarcely gave a passing 
glance at pagan Rome, and, inwardly horrified hy 
all that he saw, he quitted Rome in a frame of mind 
very different from that which he brought with him. 
He went there with the devotion of the pilgrims, 
now he returned in a disposition like that which 
characterized his future histor3^ This Rome, of 
which he had been the dupe, and concerning which 
he had been disabused, should hear from him again. 
The day would come when amid the many toasts at 
his table he would cry three times: "I would not 
have missed going to Rome for a thousand florins, 
for I should always have been uneasy lest I should 
have been rendering injustice to the pope." 



Rome. 193 

Ko sucli feeling as this existed among our party. 
We had no salutation to offer his holiness, or pros- 
tration on the threshold, but, like anxious inquirers, 
desiring to see all we could of pagan as well as 
Christian Rome. 

We honor this cit}^ for many reasons — her great- 
ness, her beauty, her power, her wealth, her warlike 
exploits; yet, over and above all these things, on 
this account, that St. Paul in his life-time wrote to 
the Romans before he was permitted to visit them. 
(The fore part of this epistle I read and commented 
upon the Sabbath we spent in the city). Here he 
afterward lived and labored for ^' two whole years 
in his own hired house, and received all that came 
unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and 
teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus 
Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." 
— See Acts of the Apostles, xxviii. 30, 31. 

In the Church of St. Maria they still have a little 
chapel in which, as hath been handed down from 
the first ages, St. Luke, the Evangelist, wrote, and 
painted the efligy of the Virgin. The subterranean 
church is shown as the actual house in which St. 
Paul lodged when he was in Rome. I felt much 
interest in this place because of its associations, and 
may refer to it iDcfore I close these sketches. 

The most matured period of St. Paul's Christian 
life detained him a close prisoner in the imperial 
city. It was from within the walls of a prison that 
St. Paul indicted the Epistles to the Ephesians, 
Philippians, Colossians, and Hebrews. It was here 
that he converted the slave Onesimus, and wrote the 
Epistle to Philemon, his master. Of all the disci- 
ples now ministering to St. Paul, none has a greater 
interest than the fugitive slave Onesimus. He be- 
longed to a Christian named Philemon, a member 
of the Colossian Church, but he had robbed his 
master and fied from Colosse, and at last found his 
9 



194 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

way to Eome. Here he was converted to Chris- 
tianity, and had confessed to St. Paul his sins against 
his master. There is in this crypt a fountain shown 
as having miraculously sprung up in answer to the 
prayers of St. Paul, that he might have Avherewith 
to baptize his disciples. The fountain is there at 
present, and doubtless has been for ages, but as to 
how it came there, no one knows whether nature or 
art produced it. 

We find him during this Roman imprisonment 
surrounded by many of his oldest and most valued 
attendants. Luke, his fellow-traveler, remained 
with him during his bondage. Timotheus, his be- 
loved son in the faith, ministered to him in Rome, 
as he had done in Asia, Macedonia, and in Achaia. 
Tychicus, who had formerly borne him company 
from Corinth to Ephesus, is now at hand to carry 
his letters to the shores which they had visited 
together. 

All these associations clustering in and around 
this city give an intensity of interest to it more 
than any other in the world. 

Capitol statues — Hall of emperors — Hall of illustrious men — 

Historic prison. 

The first object of interest to the traveler on ar- 
riving at Rome is the Capitol. To this place we 
went, with a number of our party, the first morn- 
ing. From this place we look down upon ancient 
Rome. Capitoline was the hill of the kings and 
the republic, as the Palatine was of the empire. 
Composed of tufa, its sides, now concealed by 
buildings, or by the accumulated rubbish of ages, 
were abrupt and precipitous, as are still the sides of 
the neighboring citadels. 

When Romulus had fixed his settlement upon the 
Palatine he opened an asylum for fugitive slaves 
upon the then deserted Saturnus, and here, at a sa- 



Capitol Statues. 195 

cred oak, he is said to have offered up the spoils of 
the Caleinenses, and their king, Acron, who had 
made a war of reprisal upon him for the manner in 
which he treated their women. Here, also, he 
vowed to build a temple to Jupiter, where sports 
should always be offered. But in the meantime the 
Sabines, under Titus Tatius, besieged and took the 
hill, having a gate of its fortress opened to them. 
After the death of Tatius, the Capitoline hill again 
fell under the government of Komulus and his suc- 
cessor. The Temple of Jupiter occupied a lofty 
platform, the summit of the rock being leveled to 
receive it. Its facade was decorated w^ith three 
ranges of columns,' and its sides by a single colon- 
nade. It was nearly square, being two hundred Ro- 
man feet in length, and one hundred and eighty-five 
in width. The interior was divided into three cells. 
The figure of Jupiter occupied that of the center, 
Minerva was on his right, and Juno on his left. 

Close beside this queen of Roman temples stood 
the Temple of Fides, said to have been founded by 
l^uma, where the senate were assembled at the time 
of the murder of Tiberius Gracchus, B.C. 133, who 
fell in front of the Temple of Jupiter, at the foot 
of the statues of the kings, his blood being the 
first spilled in Rome in a civil w^ar. Near this, also, 
was the twin temples of Mars and Yenus. Two 
cliffs are now claimants to be considered as the 
^'Tarpean Rock," but it is most probable that the 
whole of the hill on this side of the Intermontium 
was Mons Tarpeia. Thus we see that in this vicin- 
ity there are quite a number of interesting objects 
connected with and forming a part of Roman his- 
tory. It is natural for sight-seers to visit this 
locality first, as possessing in some respects peculiar 
interest in this city of wonders. We passed through 
the buildin2:s, ascending the stone stairways to be- 
hold on each floor many things which caused our 



196 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

minds to recur to the past history of this remark- 
able people. 

Among the Statues. — At the head of the stairs are 
colossal statues of the twin heroes, Castor and Pol- 
lux (brought hither from the Ghetto), commemor- 
ating the victory of the Lake Regillus, after which 
they rode before the army of Rome to announce 
the joyful new^s, watered their horses at the Aqua 
Argentina, and then passed away from the gaze of 
the multitude. 

JSText comes the statue of Constantine the Great, 
and his son, Constantine II. We now find our- 
selves in the Plazzo del Campideglia, where Brutus 
harangued the people after the murder of Julius 
Cesar. The tower of the Capitol contains the bell 
Viterbo, carried off from the town during the wars 
of the middle ages, which is never rung except to 
announce the death of a pope, or the opening of 
the carnival. Victor Emmanuel, I presume, will 
stop that, as he has done some other things in con- 
nection with his holiness. A gallery in the interior 
of the Tabularium has been fitted up as a museum 
of architectural antiquities collected from the neigh- 
boring temples. This building is, as it were, the 
boundary between inhabited Eome and that Kome 
which is a city in ruins. 

The Hall of the JEmperors. — In the center is the 
beautiful sealed statue of Agrippina, grand-daughter 
of Augustus; round the rooms are ranged eighty- 
three busts of Roman emperors and their near rel- 
atives, forming, perhaps, the most interesting portrait- 
gallery in the world. Even view^ed as works of art, 
many of them are of the utmost importance. I 
was much interested in Julius Cesar, Augustus, Tibe- 
rius, Agrippa, and Constantine. There also was 
JSTero, and Julian the Apostate, who have such un- 
enviable immortality. 

27ie Hall of Illustrious Men. — Here are Socrates, 



Hall of Illustrious Men. 197 

Aristides the orator, Seneca, Marcus, Agrippa, 
Homer, Scipio Africanus, Cato, Miner, Cicero, 
and many others who live in the history of the past. 

On the first and second landings are magnificent 
reliefs, representing events in the life of Marcus 
Aurelius Imp., belonging to the arch dedicated to 
him. 

The halls of the conservators consist of eight 
rooms, the first painted in fresco, from the history 
of the Roman kings; the second room adorned 
with subjects from republican history, and statues 
of modern Eoman generals; the third with subjects 
from the wars, and contains the famous bronze wolf 
of the Capitol. One of the most interesting relics 
of the city, forming a part of the decorations of 
this room, are the five pictures of a dead Christ, 
with a monk praying. The seventh room contains 
a history of the Punic wars. The eighth room is a 
chapel, containing a lovely face of the Madonna, 
and a child with angels; also the four evangelists. 

A Historic Prison.— The north-eastern height, 
once the site of the most interesting pagan temples, 
is now occupied by one of the most interesting of 
Christian churches. 

Descending from the Capitoline piazza toward 
the forum of the staircase on the left of the palace 
of the senate, close to the foot of this staircase, is a 
church, very obscure-looking, with some rude fres- 
coes on the exterior. Here are the famous adaman- 
tine prisons, excavated from the solid rock under 
the Capitol. The prisons are entered through the 
vlow Church of St. Pietro, in Carcere, hung around 
with votive offerings and blazing lamps. Here bt. 
Paul is said to have been bound for nine months to 
a pillar, which is shown to visitors. We know 
nothing of this. It may or may not be so. Yet 
this, with many other things, are told here, and 
seem to be believed by the people. 



198 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

I could write much more of this deeply interest- 
ing locality, but I am admonished to be brief. 



Palaces of Augustus, Palatine, Nero — Church of St. Clement. 

The Palatine is formed of a trapezium of solid 
rock, two sides of which were about three hundred 
yards in length, the others about four hundred. 
This building was the foundation-stone of the Pal- 
ace of the Cesars, which in time over-run the white 
hill, and under l^ero two of the neighboring hills 
besides. These ruins have been ascertained and 
recognized. It has only been within the last ten or 
twelve vears a few broken, nameless walls were vis- 
ible above ground. 

Napoleon III., in 1861, purchased it for fifty 
thousand dollars. Up to that time this part of Pal- 
atine was a vast kitchen-garden, broken here and 
there by picturesque groups of trees, and fragments 
of broken walls. Since 1861 extensive excavations 
have been carried on, which have resulted in the 
discovery of the palaces of some of the earlier em- 
perors, and the substructures of several temples. 

The Palace of Augustus increased in size until 
the whole valley was blocked up by it, and the end 
of its roof became level with the hill-sides. Before 
the entrance of the palace it was ordained by the 
senate, B.C. 26, that two bay-trees should be planted 
in remembrance of the citizens he had preserved, 
w^iile an oak-wreath was placed above the gate to 
commemorate his victories. Upon the top of this 
building, Augustus Vespasian built his palace, 
A.D. 70, not only using the walls of the older palace 
as a support for his own, but filling the chambers 
of the earlier building entirely up with earth, so 
that they became a solid, massive foundation. 

The ruins which we visit are, for the most part, 
those of the Palace of Vespasian, but from one of 



The Palace of Vespasian, Etc. 199 

its hills we can descend into rooms underneath, ex- 
cavated from the Palace of Augustus. 

The Palace of Palatine is not the palace where 
the emperors generally lived. They resided at their 
villas, and came into the city to the Palace of the 
Cesars for the transaction of public business. They 
made use of the subterranean passage which ran 
round the whole building to prevent the annoyance 
of the crowd until they appeared in public to receive 
the morning salutation of the people. The name 
"Basilica" means "king's house." It was the 
ancient law court. It usually had a portico, was 
oblong in form, and ended in an apex for ornament. 
The Christians adopted it for their places of worship 
because it was the largest type of building then 
known. Nero, after the example of Augustus, 
heard criminal causes in the Imperial Palace, whose 
ruins still crown the Palatine. Here, at one end of 
the splendid hall, lined with the precious marbles 
of Egypt, we must imagine Cesar seated in the 
midsf'of the assessors. "These counsellors, twenty 
in number, were men of the highest rank and 
greatest influence. Among them were the two 
consuls, and representatives of the other great mag- 
istrates of Rome. The remainder consisted of 
senators chosen by lot. Over this distinguished 
bench of judges presided the representativesof the 
most powerful monarchy which has ever existed — 
the absolute ruler of the whole world. 

Before the tribunal of the blood-stained Nero St. 
Paul was brought in fetters, under the custody of 
his military guard. The prosecutors and their wit- 
nesses were called forward to support their accusa- 
tion. The subject matter for decision was the 
written depositions forwarded from Judea by Festus ; 
yet the Roman law required the personal presence 
of the accusers and witnesses whenever they could 
be obtained. He was accused of disturbing the 



200 A Memphian's Tkip to Europe. 

Jews in the exercise of their worship, which was 
secured to them by law; of desecrating their tem- 
ple, and above all of violating the public peace of 
the empire by perpetual agitation as the ring-leader 
of a new and factious sect. The charge was the 
most serious in tbe view of a Roman statesman, for 
the crime alleged was treason against tbe Common- 
wealth, and was punishable with death. These 
accusations were supported by the enemies of the 
Sanhedrim, and probably by witnesses from Judea, 
Ephesus, Corinth, and other places of Paul's activ- 
ity. "When the parties on both sides had been 
heard, and the witnesses all examined, the judgment 
of the court was taken. Each of the assessors gave 
his opinion in writing to the emperor, who never 
discussed the judgment with his assessors; but, 
after reading their opinion, gave sentence according 
to his own pleasure, without reference to the judg- 
ment of the majority. On this occasion it might 
have been expected that he would have pronounced 
the sentence of condemnation against the accused, 
but the trial resulted in the acquittal of St. Paul. 
He was pronounced guiltless of the charges brought 
against him, his fetters were struck oft', and he was 
liberated from his long captivity. 

History has few stronger contrasts than when it 
shows St. Paul preaching under the walls of Nero's 
palace. Thenceforward there was to be but two 
religions in the Roman world — the worship of the 
emperor and the Avorship of the Saviour. The old 
superstitions had long been worn out — they had 
lost all their influence on educated minds. 

Over against the altars of I^ero the voice of St. 
Paul was daily heard, and daily woke in groveling 
souls the consciousness of their divine destiny. 
Men listened, and knew that if sacrifice was better 
than ease, humiliation more exalted than pride, to 
Buflfer was nobler than to reign. They felt that the 



Church of St. Clement. 201 

only religion that satisfied the needs of men was the 
religion of the cross, in which he gloried. 

The close of the Epistle to the Ephesians is a re- 
markable example of forcible imagery. Considered 
simply in itself, the description of the Christian's 
armor is one of the most striking passages in the 
sacred volume. But if we view it in connection 
with the circumstances with which the apostle was 
surrounded, we find a new and living emphasis in 
his enumerations of all the parts of the heavenly 
panoply. All this imagery becomes doubly forcible 
if we remember that when St. Paul wrote these 
words he was chained to a soldier, and in the vicin- 
ity of the Roman legions. The appearance of the 
guards was daily familiar to him in his chains. On 
the o'ther hand, so he tells us in the preceding 
epistle, the soldier to whom he was chained to-day 
might have been [N'ero's body-guard yesterday. 
The comrade who next relieved him might have 
been one of the executioners of Octavia, and might 
have carried her head to Pophala a few weeks before. 
Such imaginings would naturally pass through the 
mind while viewing these ruins where we know 
this eminent apostle to the Gentiles preached, suf- 
fered, and died for his religion. While I have 
my doubts in regard to many things that I heard 
while in Rome, yet there are some things mentioned 
in sacred as well as profane history, the truth of 
which I could not question. This was one of them. 

The Church of St. Clement is one of deep inter- 
est. It is under the ground, beneath the present 
church, and below this is the house of Clement, to 
which recent excavations and discoveries have given 
an extraordinary interest. The upper church, in 
spite of modernizations, under Clement XL, in the 
last century, retains more of the details belonging 
to primitive ecclesiastical architecture than any 
other building in Rome. It was consecrated in 



202 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

memory of Clement, the fellow-laborer of St. Paul, 
and the third Bishop of Eome, upon the site of his 
family house, where St. Paul dwelt with him. In 
the primitive church every thing remains in statu 
quo, the court, the portico, the cancelum, paschal 
candlestick, virgin. This was to me one of the 
most interesting places I visited in this once "impe- 
rial city." I gathered some relics from there w^ith 
more interest than from any other place I visited in 
Europe. From the sacristy a staircase leads to the 
lower church, first discovered in 1857. Here there 
are several pillars of the rarest marbles in perfect 
preservation, and a very curious series of frescoes 
of the eighth and ninth centuries, part of which 
are still clear, and almost uninjured. These include 
the crucifixion, with the Virgin and St. John stand- 
ing by the cross, the earliest example in Eome of 
this well-known subject. "The Ascension," some- 
times called by Romanists the Assumption of the 
Virgin, because the figure of the Virgin is elevated 
above the apostles, though she is intent on watch- 
ing the retreating figure of her divine Son. In this 
fresco the figure of a pope is introduced, showing 
that it was painted in his life-time. Quite a number 
of inscriptions are found on the w^alls, of much in- 
terest to the antiquary, in consequence of its being 
where St. Paul resided, and where Christians wor- 
shiped in the early history of the Church of Pome, 
to whom St. Paul wrote and preached. 

The Forums and the Coliseum. 
Following the Corso to its end and turning to 
the left, we are at once amid the remains of the 
Forum of Trajan, erected for the emperor on his 
return from the wars of the Danube. The Forum now 
presents the appearance of a ruin between the Cap- 
itoline and the Quirinal, but is an artificial hollow 
excavated to facilitate the circulation of life in the 



The Forums and the Coliseum. 203 

city. The earth was formerly as high as the top of 
the column, which reached one hundred Roman 
feet, to the level of the Palatine hill. 

All over the surface of what was once Rome 
seems to be the effort of time to bury up the ancient 
city, so that in eighteen centuries the soil over its 
grave has grown very deep. This was the fate of 
Trajan's Forum until some antiquary a few hundred 
years ago began to hollow it out again, and discov- 
ered the whole height of the gigantic column, 
wreathed round with bas-relief of the old emperor's 
warlike deeds. 

The Temple of Mars stands at the north-east cor- 
ner of the magnificent Forum of Augustus, sur- 
passing in size the Forum of Julius Cesar, to which 
it was adjoiuiug. It was of sufficient size to be 
frequently used for fights of animals. Among its 
ornaments were statues of Augustus, and of Au- 
gustus's triumphal car and the subdued princes, with 
inscriptions illustrative of the great deeds he had 
accomplished there. 

Returning a short distance, we traverse the site 
of the Forum of Julius Cesar, upon which, eight 
hundred thousand pounds sterling were expended. 
The interest of Rome comes to its climax in the 
Forum. In spite of all that is destroyed and all 
that is buried, much still remains which a trav- 
eler interested in history will find all but inex- 
haustible and after the lapse of centuries the dif- 
ferent sites seem now to be verified with tolerable 
certainty. The study of the Roman Forum is com- 
plicated by a succession of public edifices by which 
it has been occupied; each period of Roman history 
having a diflerent set of buildings, and each in a 
great measure supplanting those which went before. 
Before leaving the Foruni^we visited the interesting 
group of churches in the vicinity, which have sprung 
up amid its ruins. Almost opposite the Mamertine 



204 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

prisons, surmouDted by a handsome dome, is the 
Church of St. Martina, which contains the original 
model bequeathed by the sculptor Thorwaldsen, of 
his Copenhagen statue of Christ in the act of bene- 
diction. The subterranean church beneath this 
building is well worth visiting. The Church of St. 
Cosmo was founded within the ancient temple, by 
Pope Felix IV., in 527. The ancient church was 
divided in half by the vaulting, which now divides 
the upper and lower churches. To visit this lower 
church a monk must be summoned, who brings a 
torch by w^hich it can be seen. It is of great size, 
and contains a curious well, into which Christian 
martyrs in the time of l^ero are said to have been 
precipitated. The third and lowest church (the 
original crypt) is said to have been a place of refuge 
during the early Christian persecutions. A passage 
which formerly led from hence to the catacombs of 
St. Sebastian was walled up twenty years ago by 
the paternal government because twenty persons 
were lost in it. Deserving the most minute atten-. 
tion is the grand mosaic of Christ coming in the 
clouds of sunset. E'ear the Church of St. Francisca 
the Via Sacra passes under the Arch of Titus, which 
even in its restored condition is the most beautiful 
monument of the kind in Rome. Its Christian in- 
terest is unrivaled, from its having been erected by 
the senate to commemorate the taking of Jerusalem, 
and from its bas-reliefs of the seven-branched 
candlestick, and other treasures of the Jewish tem- 
ple. Standing beneath the Arch of Titus, and 
amid so many ancient associations, it is difficult to 
forbear the commonplaces of enthusiasm on which 
tourists have insisted. Over the half-worn pavement 
and beneath this arch the Roman armies have trodden 
in their outward march to fight battles far, far away; 
returning victorious, with royal captives and inesti- 
mable spoil of Roman triumph, that most gorgeous 



The Forums and the Coliseum. 205 

pageant of earthly pride has streamed and flaunted 
in hundred- fold succession over the flagstones and 
under this archway — the street which led from the 
southern gate of Rome to the Capitol, and by which 
the victorious generals passed in their triumphal 
processions to the Temple of Jupiter. Between the 
Arch of Titus and the Coliseum, the ancient pave- 
ment of this famous road, composed of polygonal 
blocks of lava, has been allowed to remain. 

The Coliseum was originally called the Flavian 
Amphitheater. This vast building was begun A.D. 
72, upon the site of the reservoir of Nero, by the Em- 
peror Vespasian, who built as far as the third row 
of arches, the last two rows being finished by Titus 
after his return from the conquest of Jerusalem. It 
is said that twelve thousand captive Jews were em- 
ployed in this work, as the Hebrews in building the 
pyramids of Egypt, and that the external walls 
alone cost seventeen million francs. It consists of 
four stories — the first Doric, the second Ionic, the 
third and fourth Corinthian. Its circumference is 
one thousand six hundred and forty-one feet, its 
length two hundred and eighty-seven, its width two 
hundred and eighty-two, its height one hundred 
and fifty-seven. The entrance for the emperor was 
between two arches facing the Esquiline, where 
there was no cornice. The arena was surrounded 
b}^ a wall suflaciently high to protect the spectators 
from the wild beasts, which were introduced by 
subterranean passages closed by huge gates from 
the side. The whole building was said to be capable 
of containing one hundred thousand persons. 

The Emperor Commodus, A.D. 180-182, fre- 
quently fought in the Coliseum himself, and killed 
both gladia'tors and wild beasts, calling himself 
Hercules, dressed in a lion's skin, with his hair 
sprinkled with gold-dust. The gladiatorial contests 
came to an end A.D. 403. An Oriental monk 



206 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

named Telemachus was so horrified at them that 
he rushed in the midst of the arena and besought 
the spectators to remove them. Instead of listen- 
ing to him, they put him to death. 

The first martyrdom here was that of St. Ignatius, 
said to have been the child especiallj^ blessed by our 
Saviour, the disciple of John, and the companion 
of Poly carp, who was sent here from Antioch when 
he was bishop. When brought into the arena he 
knelt down, and exclaimed: *'llomans who are 
here present know that I have not been brought 
into this place for any crime, but in order that by 
this means I may merit the fruition of the glory of 
God, for love of whom I have been made a prisoner. 
'I am as the grain of the field, and must be ground 
by the teeth of the lions that I may become bread 
fit for His table.' " The lions were then let loose, 
and devoured him, except the larger bones, which 
the Christians collected during the night. 

It is related of Ignatius that he grew up in such 
innocence of heart, and purity of life, that to him 
it was granted to hear the angels sing; hence when 
he became Bishop of Antioch he introduced into 
the service of the Church the practice of singing 
the praises of God in responses, as he had heard 
the choir of the angels answering each other. 

Soon after the death of Ignatius, one hundred 
and fifteen Christians were shot down here with ar- 
rows. Some of these the wild beasts would not 
attack, but on their refusing were killed by the 
friends of the gladiators. 

To stand and view these ruins, and let the mind 
run back to the scenes which have here been enacted, 
will produce feelings which may be imagined, but 
not described. So suggestive and distinct are the 
impressions made upon the mind, that one may 
easily fancy he sees the whole terrible, bloody scenes 
spread out before him. Alas, for poor human na- 



The Coliseum. 207 

ture! to seek such amusements as countless thous- 
ands did, and with eager faces stare down into the 
arena to witness such a whirl of strife and blood 
going on there as no language can describe. Its 
solitude, its awful beaut}^, and its utter desolation 
strike upon the stranger the next moment like a 
softened sorrow to see it crumbling an inch a year, 
its walls and arches overgrown with green, its cor- 
ridors opened to the dogs, the long grass growing 
in its porches, and young trees spring up on its rag- 
ged parapets. All these teach a lesson w^orthy of 
being engraven upon the tablet of every heart, of 
the vanity of the glory of earth's great and powerful 
nations. 

The spot where the Christian martyrs suffered is 
now marked by a tall cross, devoutly kissed by the 
faithful, and all round the arena of the Coliseum 
are small chapels, or stations used in the Via Crusis, 
which is observed here at 4 p.m. every Friday, when 
a confraternity clothed in gray, with onl}^ the eyes 
visible, is followed by a crowd of worshipers, who 
chant and pray at each station in turn, after which 
a Capuchin monk preaches from a pulpit on the left 
of the arena. The pulpit of the Coliseum was 
used for the stormy sermons of Gavazzi, who called 
the people to arms from thence in the revolution of 
March, 1848. Never can one forget the magnificent 
Coliseum. I passed it often, and always felt in- 
spired wnth the grandest conceptions I ever had of 
man's work w^henever I beheld it. 



The Eternal City — The Catacombs— St. Agnes. 

As we rode out the Appian "Way, one afternoon, 
to visit the catacombs, which have to be visited 
with a guide, on our route we passed the place 
where a remarkable story is told of St. Peter. After 
the burning of Rome, Nero threw upon the Chris- 



208 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

tians the accusation of having fired the city. This 
was the origin of the first persecution, in which 
many perished by terrible and hitherto unheard of 
deaths. The Christian converts besought Peter not 
to expose his life. As he fled along the Appian 
"Wa}^, about two miles from the gates, he was met 
by a vision of our Saviour, traveling toward the 
city. Struck with amazement, he exclaimed, "Lord, 
whither goest thou?" to which the Saviour, look- 
ing upon him with a mild sadness, replied, "I goto 
Rome to be crucified a second time," and vanished. 
Peter taking this as a sign that he was to submit 
himself to the sufferings prepared for him, immedi- 
ately returned back to the city. Where the roads 
divide is the Church of Domine, containing a copy 
of the celebrated footprint left here by our Saviour. 
We did not stop to see the copy which is kept here 
where the meeting occurred, but we saw what they 
assert to be the original at St. Sebastian. It is some 
twelve or fifteen feet high, and has to be seen with 
a taper. Some of our company were incredulous 
enough to say they saw the marks of the chisel 
even on this original footprint on the stone. We 
lighted our tapers, and following our guide, we 
wound down and around for a considerable distance 
among the bones of the ancient dead. Gloomy, 
indeed, are these catacombs. One visit to them is 
all an}^ one ever need desire to be satisfied. The 
temperature is mild, and some of the vaults were 
almost dry, and the air seems to be pure. We did 
not go far, but I believe all of us were perfectly 
satisfied when we came out. Their extent is enor- 
mous, not as to the amount of superficial soil which 
they underlie, for they rarely, if ever, pass beyond 
the third mile-stone from the city, but the actual 
length of their galleries, for these are often exca- 
vated on various levels, three, four, or ^ve feet, one 
above the other; they cross and recross one another 



The Catacombs.— St. Agnes. 209 

so, that in the whole there are not less than three 
hundred and fifty miles of them. If stretched out 
in one continual line, they would extend the whole 
length of Italy. The galleries are from two to four 
feet in width, and vary in height according to the 
nature of the rock in which they are dug. The 
walls on both sides are pierced with horizontal 
niches, like shelves in a book-case, or berths in a 
steamer, and every niche once contained one or 
more bodies. These vast excavations once formed 
the ancient Christian cemeteries of Rome. They 
were begun in the apostles' time, and continued to 
be burying-places of the faithful till the capture 
of the city by Alaric, in the year 410. In the third 
century the Roman Church numbered twenty-five 
or twenty-six of them, corresponding to the number 
of her titles, or parishes within the city, and besides 
these, twenty others of smaller dimensions, isolated 
monuments of special martyrs, or belonging to pri- 
vate families. It is agreed among men of learning, 
who have had an opportunity of examining these 
excavations, that they were used exclusively by the 
Christians as places of burial and religious assem- 
blies. Modern researches have now placed it beyond 
a doubt that they were originally assigned for this 
purpose, and no other. In most of these chambers, 
and sometimes in the galleries themselves, are one or 
more tombs of a more elaborate kind, hollowed out in 
the rock, or built up with masonry, and closed by a 
heavy slab of marble lying horizontally at the top of it. 
The fact that the early Christians were always 
anxious not to burn their dead, but to bury them in. 
these rock-hewn sepulchers, was probably owing to 
the remembrance that our Lord was himself laid " in 
a new tomb hewn out of a rock," and perhaps also, 
for this reason, the bodies w^ere wrapped in linen 
cloths and precious spices, of which remains have 
been found in the tombs. 



210 A Memphian's Trip to Europe, 

In the road leading to Surbam is the entrance 'to 
the Jewish catacomb. It is entered by a chamber 
opened to the sky, floored with black and white 
mosaic, which is supposed to have formed part of a 
pagan dwelling. The following chamber has the 
remains of a well. Among the most remarkable 
paintings is Elijah ascending to heaven in a chariot 
drawn by four horses, and a portrait of our Lord. 

Owing to the desire in the early Christian Church 
of saving the graves of their iirst confessors and 
martyrs from desecration, almost all the catacombs 
were gradually blocked up, and by a lapse of time 
their entrances w^ere forgotten. In the fourteenth 
century very few of them were still open. In the 
fifteenth none remained except this one at Sebastian, 
wdiich continues to be frequented by pilgrims. A 
little more than a mile from the gate the road reaches 
the Basilica of St. Agnes, founded by Constantine 
in honor of the virgin martyr buried in the neigh- 
boring catacomb. It retains more of an ancient 
character than most of the Roman churches. The 
approach to the church is by a picturesque staircase 
of forty-five ancient marble-steps, lined with in- 
scriptions from the catacombs. Beneath is the 
shrine of St. Agnes, surmounted by her statue — an 
antique of ancient alabaster, with wooden head, 
and hands of gilt bronze. The mosaics of the 
tribune represent St. Agnes between two popes of 
the seventh century. Beneath is an ancient epis- 
copal chair. So ancient is the worship paid to St. 
Agnes that next to the evangelists and apostles 
there is no saint whose effigy is older. It is found 
on the ancient glass and earthen vessels used by 
the Christians in the early part of the third centur}^ 
with her name inscribed, which leaves no doubt of 
her identity. St. Agnes sufiered martyrdom by 
being stabbed in the throat, under Diocletian, in 
her thirtieth year, after which, according to the ex- 



St. Agnes. 211 

pressions used in the acts of lier martyrdom, her 
parents "with all joy" laid her in the catacombs. 
One day while they were near the body of their 
child, she appeared to them surrounded by a great 
multitude of virgins, triumphant and glorious like 
herself, with a lamb by her side, and said: I am in 
heaven, living with these virgins, my companions, 
near Him whom I have so much loved." By her 
tomb also Constantia, a princess, sick with hopeless 
leprosy, was praying for the healing of her body, 
when she heard a voice saying: "Rise up, Constan- 
tia, and go on constantly in the faith of Jesus Christ, 
the Son of God, \yho shall heal your diseases." 
A-ud being cured of her evil, she besought her 
tather to build this basilica as a thank-offering. On 
the 21st of January a beautiful service is celebrated, 
in which two lambs, typical of the purity of the 
virgin saint, are blessed upon the altar. 

The catacomb of St. Agnes is entered from a 
vineyard about a quarter of a mile beyond the 
church. It is lighted and open to the public on St. 
Agnes' day. This is one of the most interesting 
catacombs to visit. The entrance is by a staircase 
attributed to Constantine. The most interesting 
features here are a square chamber hewn in the 
rock, with an arm-chair cut out of the rock on either 
side of the entrance. In the central compartment 
is our Lord, seated between the rolls of the Old and 
ITew Testament. Above the arcosolium, in the place 
of honor, is the Saviour, as the Good Shepherd, 
bearing a sheep upon his shoulders, and standing 
between other sheep and the trees. In the other 
compartments are Daniel in the lion's den, the 
three Hebrew children in the furnace, Moses taking 
off his shoes, Moses striking the rock, and nearest 
the entrance the paralytic carrying his bed. A 
neighboring chapel has also remains of an altar, 
and well-preserved paintings — "The Good Shep- 



212 A Memphian's Teip to Europe:. 

herd;" "Adam and Eve, with the tree between 
them;" "Jonah under the Gourd." In the farther 
part of the catacomb is a long, narrow chapel, di- 
vided into three parts, of which the farthest, a 
presbytery, contains an ancient episcopal chair, 
with lower seats on either side for priests. In the 
extremity of the catacombs, under the Basilica of 
St. Agnes, is one of its most interesting features. 
There the passages become wider and more irregu- 
lar, the walls sloping and unformed, and graves 
cease to appear, indicating one of the ancient arenaria 
which have formed the approaches to the catacomb, 
and beyond which the Christians excavated their 
cemetery. The graves throughout almost all the 
catacombs have been rifled, the bones which they 
contained being distributed as relics throughout 
Roman Catholic Christendom, and most of the sar- 
cophagi and inscriptions removed to Lateran and 
other museums. 

I have devoted more space to St. Agnes because 
of the importance attached to her name and mem- 
ory than almost any other saint, and that we have a 
school named in honor of her in the city. 



The Santa Scala — Roman Funeral — The Pantheon. 

Among the many places of interest in Rome is 
the Santa Scala, erected by Fortuna, for Sextus Y. 
We must of course go to see this remarkable relic 
of antiquity as well as credulity, which is supposed 
to be that of the stairs of the house of Pilate, 
ascended and descended by our Saviour. It is said 
to have been brought from Jerusalem by Helena, 
the mother of Constantine the Great, and has been 
regarded with special reverence by the Roman 
Church for fifteen hundred years. Clement XII. 
caused the steps to be covered with a wooden casing, 
which has since been repeatedly worn out by the 



• The Santa Scala. 213 

knees of tlie ascending pilcrrims. Apertures are 
left through which the marble steps can be seen, 
two of which are said to be stained by the blood of 
the Saviour. Between two statues the pilgrims kneel 
to commence the ascent, which, by the wa}^, I should 
suppose, from what we saw when there, was not 
only a very tedious, but a laborious operation. 

JSTumerous indulgences have been granted by dif- 
ferent popes to those who ascend it with a prayer at 
each step. There is no day on which worshipers 
may not be seen slowly ascending these stairs, but 
during the Holy "Week the concourse is at its 
height, and on Good Friday this structure is cqm- 
pletely covered by the multitudes paying penance. 
Martin Luther went to accomplish the ascent of the 
Santa Scala. He slowly mounted, step after step, 
the hard stone, worn into hollows by the knees of 
the pilgrims for an indulgence for a thousand years. 
Patiently he crept half-way up the staircase. He 
suddenly stood erect, lifted his face heavenward, 
turned and walked slowly down again. He said, as 
he was toiling up, a voice as from heaven seemed 
to whisper to him the old well-known words which 
had been his battle-cry in so many a victorious con- 
flict: "The just shall live by faith." He seemed 
suddenly released from his bonds and fetters, and 
with a firm step he went away. Ascending one of 
the lateral staircases — no foot must touch the Santa 
Scala — we reached a chapel so intensely sacred that 
none but a pope can officiate at its altar, and as 
Victor Emmanuel has stopped his officiating, it is 
probable it w^ill be some time before service will be 
had in that chapel again. 

Our company did not seem to feel much of the 
sacredness of this place, or its performances. Those 
who were going up were in good earnest, and we 
could but admire their perseverance while doubting 
their judgment. 



214 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. • 

A Roman funeral is a sad sight, and strikes one 
with peculiar solemnity. After death the body is 
entirely abandoned to the priests, who take posses- 
sion of it, watch over it, and prepare it for burial; 
while the family, if they can find refuge anywhere 
else, abandon the house, and remain away a week. 
The body is not ordinarily allowed to remain in the 
house more than twelve hours, except on condition 
that it is sealed up with lead or zinc. At nightfall 
a sad procession stops before the house of the dead. 
They are dressed in a black cap, covering the head 
and face as well as the body, and two large holes 
cut in front for the eyes. Four carry the bier, and 
are furnished with wax candles, for no one is buried 
in Rome without a candle. If the person is wealthy 
the funeral takes place late at night, and the proces- 
sion is long. I presume the one I saw was not of 
that class, for although there was a long procession, 
there were no carriages, and it |v^as early in the 
night. I believe no carriages are allowed but at 
State funerals. Every one takes off his hat, or 
makes the sign of the cross, or mutters a prayer as 
the body passes. All these we failed to do, as we 
were not then posted in regard to these regulations. 

The Pantheon. — The first time I saw this most 
perfect pagan building was the evening of our ar- 
rival in the city. There was an immense crowd 
there, and the soft, mellow light from the ceiling 
made one think it "grand, gloomy, and peculiar." 
The Pantheon was not originally as it now is, 
below the level of the piazza, but was approached 
by a flight of five steps. The portico, which is one 
hundred and ten feet long and forty-four feet deep, 
is supported by sixteen grand Corinthian columns 
of Oriental granite, thirty-six feet in height. The 
interior is a rotunda, one hundred and forty-three 
feet in diameter, covered by a dome. It is only 
lighted by an aperture in the center, twenty-eight 



St. Peter's. 215 

feet in diameter. Seven great niches around the 
wall once contained statues of different gods and 
goddesses, that of Jupiter being the central figure. 
The world has nothing like the Pantheon. Every 
thing makes an impression of deep solemnity, which 
St. Peter's itself fails to produce. 



St. Peter's — The Vatican — Sistine Chapel — Michael Angelo, 

etc, 

St. Peter's. — The first church which existed on or 
near the site of the present building was the oratory 
founded A.D. 90 by Anacletus, Bishop of Rome, 
who is said to have been ordained by St. Peter him- 
self, and who thus marked the spot where many 
Christian martyrs had sufifered in the circus of Nero, 
and where St. Peter was buried after his crucifixion. 

In 306 Gonstantine the Great yielded to the 
request of Pope Sylvester, and began the erection 
of a basilica on this spot, laboring with his own 
hands at the work, and himself carrying twelve 
loads of earth in honor of the twelve apostles. The 
great apostle is said to have been exhumed at this 
time, and re'interred in a shrine of silver, inclosed 
in a sarcophagus of gilt bronze. I wish here to 
state that it is a question about which there is a 
great difference of opinion, as to whether St. Peter 
was ever at Rome, Protestants contending that he 
never was, while the Romanists are fully estab- 
lished in the belief that he was here crucified and 
buried. I neither know nor care which is correct. 
I attach not the least importance to it, but I am 
giving only what is there believed, and about which 
they think there can be no possibility of doubt. I 
leave them to fight their own battles, while I proceed 
to say that the early basilica measured three hun- 
dred and ninety-five feet in length, by two hundred 
and twelve in width. Its nave and aisles were di- 



216 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

Vided by eighty-six marble pillars. Though only 
half the size of the present cathedral, still it covered 
a greater space than any cathedral except those at 
Milan and Seville, with w^hich it ranked in size. 
The building of the present St. Peter's extended 
altogether over one hundred and seventy-six years, 
and its expenses were so great that Julius II. and 
Leo X. were obliged to meet them by the sale of 
indulgences, which led to the Reformation. The 
expense of the main building alone has been esti- 
mated at ten million pounds sterling ($50,000,000). 
The annual expense of repairs is over forty thou- 
sand dollars. The fagade of St. Peter's is three 
hundred and fifty-seven feet long, and one hundred 
and forty-four feet high, bearing statues of the 
Saviour and his twelve apostles. N^ear the central 
entrance is the Loggia, where the pope is crowned, 
and where he gives, or has given, the Easter bene- 
diction. On entering this largest of all churches 
you feel at first disappointed. You can't see it all 
from any one place, hence it does not fully meet 
your expectations. I was there several times, and 
each time Avas more impressed with its immensity. 
It appeared like some great work of nature, for we 
can scarcely realize that it is the w^ork of men. You 
may lose your way in St. Peter's. There are so 
many chapels where divine service is performed 
and chanted that you come upon them before you 
are aware of it. The angels in the baptistry are 
immense giants, the doves colossal birds of prey. 
You lose all ideas of measurement, every thing 
being of gigantic proportions. As you enter the 
front door a cold wind strikes 3^ou which makes 
you feel like you needed an overcoat in summer. 
It is said the temperature does, not change ; in the 
coldest weather it is like summer to 3'our feelings, 
and in the most oppressive heat it strikes you with 
a delightful sensation of cold. 



St. Peter's— The Vatican. 217 

The enormous size of the statues and ornaments 
in St. Peter's does away, to some extent, with the im- 
pression of its vast size, and it is only b}^ observing 
the living, moving figures, that one can form an 
idea of its colossal proportions. A line in the 
pavement is marked with the comparative size of 
the other great Christian churches. I stepped its 
length, and found it over two hundred yards. Its 
exact length, as given by Mr. Hare, from whom I 
copy largelj^, is six hundred and thirteen and a half- 
feet; St. Paul's, London, five hundred and twenty 
and a half; Milan Cathedral, four hundred and 
forty -three; St. Sophia, Constantinople, three hun- 
dred and sixty and a half. The height of the dome 
in the interior is four hundred and five feet, and the 
exterior four hundred and forty-eight feet. St. 
Peter's is a grand aggregation of splendid churches, 
chapels, tombs, and works of art. 

The Vatican, the first residence of the popes, 
was erected in A.D. 498-514, near the court of old St. 
Peter's, and here Charlemagne is believed to have 
resided on the occasion of his several visits to Pome. 
The Vatican Palace was used only on State occa- 
sions, and for the reception of any foreign sovereign 
visiting Rome. 

The principal entrance of the Vatican is at the 
end of the right colonnade of St. Peter's, and is the 
nearest way to the collections of statues and pic- 
tures. On the right is the entrance of the Pauline 
Chapel. The Crucifixion of St. Peter, under the 
large window, and the Conversion of St. Paul, are 
tolerably distinct. There is a long train of soldiers 
seen ascending in the background. Christ, sur- 
rounded by a host of angels, bursts upon your sight 
from the storm-flash. Paul lies stretched upon the 
ground, a noble and finely-developed form. His 
followers fly on all sides, or are struck motionless 
to the ground. 
10 



218 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

The arrangement of the groups is excellent, and 
some single figures are very dignified. On the left 
of the approach from the Scala Eegia is the Sistine 
Chapel. The lower part of the walls of this won- 
derful chapel was formerly bung, on festivals, with 
the tapestries executed from the cartoons of Raphael. 
The upper portion is decorated in fresco by the 
great Florentine masters of the fifteenth century. 
It was intended to represent scenes from the life of 
Moses, on one side of the chapel, and from the life 
of Christ on the other, so that the old law might be 
confirmed by the new — the type by the typified. 
The following is the order of the frescoes — type 
and antitype together: " Moses in the Bulrushes " — 
"Christ in the Manger;" "Moses on the way to 
Egypt" — "Baptism of Christ;" "Moses and the 
Israelites passing the Eed Sea" — "Calling the 
Apostles;" "Moses giving the Law^" — "Christ's 
Sermon on the Mount;" "Last Interview of Moses 
and Joshua" — "Resurrection of Christ." The av- 
enue of pictures is a preparation for the surpassing 
grandeur of the ceiling. It contains the most per- 
fect works of Michael Angelo in his long and active 
life. There his great spirit appears in its noblest 
dignity, and in its highest purity ; the most im- 
portant events in the Book of Genesis — the creation 
and fall of man, and its immediate consequences; 
the sitting figures of the prophets as the foretellers 
of the coming Saviour. A great number of figures 
are also connected with the frame-work. They may 
be the best described as the living and embodied 
genii of architecture. It required the unlimited 
power of an architect, sculptor, and painter to con- 
ceive a structured whole of so much grandeur; to 
design the decorative figures with the significant 
repose required by the picturesque character. 

The pictures of the Old Testament are: "The 
Separation of Light from Darkness;" "The Crea- 



The Vatican. 219 

tion of the Sun and Moon;" *'The Creation of 
Trees and Plants;" "The Creation of Adam;" 
"The Creation of Eve;" "The Fall, and Expulsion 
from Paradise;" "The Sacrifice of iToah;" "The 
Deluge," and "The Intoxication of IToah." 

The lower portion of the ceiling is divided into 
triangles, occupied by the prophets. They sit in 
twelve throne-like niches, more like presiding dei- 
ties, each enw^rapt in self-contemplation, than as 
tributary witnesses to the truth and omnipotence of 
Him they are intended to announce. They thus 
form a gigantic frame-work around the subjects of 
the creation, of which the birth of Eve, as the type 
of the nativity, is the intentional center. 

The Sistine Chapel is associated in the minds of 
all the Roman sojourners with the great ceremonies 
of the Church, but especially with the Passion Week. 

The small portion of the Vatican inhabited by 
the pope is never seen except by those admitted to 
a special audience. As our time was limited in 
which to see the wonders of this most remarkable 
of cities, we had none to spend in the preparations 
to see his holiness. "We learned that it required 
some three or four days, after a good recommenda- 
tion (which we do not know that we could have 
obtained), to be admitted into his sacred presence. 
A suit of clothes, made after a certain style, is one 
of the requirements in order to see him. We made 
no effort to get to see the man who, though he re- 
gards himself as a prisoner, wields more influence 
still in Europe than any crowned head in the land. 



Leaving the city. 

Rome, July 30, 1873. 

I sent you a letter day before yesterday, giving a 

hasty sketch of my impressions of this ancient city 

of Rome. Since then we have been going from 7 

A.M. to 9 P.M., nearly all the time, with Professor 



220 A Memphian's Tkip to Europe. 

"Wood, a celebrated archseologist, an Englishman, 
who has resided in Rome for nearly a quarter of a 
century. He has taken us through the old city ex- 
cavations, showing the present city to be fifty feet 
above the ancient one. Sometimes we find a build- 
ing directly over one below it, and sometimes the 
third one below both the others. These excavations 
have been going on since the commencement of the 
present century, more or less, as the means could 
be obtained to prosecute them. Louis Napoleon 
purchased of the ex-king a portion of them, and 
has been for many years expending some fifty thou- 
sand dollars annually in this work. 

A great many things have been found which be- 
long to other ages, demonstrated by the inscriptions 
found on them. Some of the most important were 
found last August. These we have met with in the 
Vatican and other places. [N'apoleon sold out his 
possessions here to the Italian government, and 
they are now engaged in these excavations, expend- 
ing large sums of money for the removal of the 
rubbish. I have taken down some sixty pages in 
my note-book, but have not time to look over them. 
I shall not say any thing of them now, for we are 
to be off this morning for Pisa. At present I have 
onl}^ time to sketch our route, and the objects that 
impress me most at the time, just as they come up 
in my mind, when I can find a few moments to 
write them. 

We had heard much of the heat of Eome, but 
we have found it very pleasant. In the sunshine 
for a few hours in the day it is very warm, but not 
near so hot as with us. The nights are cold and re- 
freshing. We have had no warm weather to make 
it unpleasant yet, and as we are now going to Switz- 
erland, we do n't expect to suffer with it in the 
mountains. All our party keep well, and in good 
spirits. 



Leaving the City. * 221 

Our ladies pack their baggage when necessary, 
which is often, like heroes. They are nearly all 
teachers, and are learning that which will qualify 
them better for their duties. Then their natural 
curiosity stimulates them to rush ahead to see all 
they can. One will see, perhaps, ten times as many 
people on the streets at night as in the day-time. 
The squares are filled with idlers, who have a free 
and easy way of spending their time. I have 
counted seventy performers in a brass-band. Every- 
body seems to enjoy themselves in their nightly 
amusements. They do n't have their beer-gardens, 
like the Germans, nor do they seem to drink any 
thing much but lemonade, publicly. They are a 
much more intellectual-looking people than many 
we have seen. They look more like our Southern 
population than any we have met with in Europe. 
They do not remind us, however, of our hotels. 
They study economy closely. They have meat only 
once a day, and that done up in "Italian style," 
sometimes repulsive to me. We make a clear sweep 
of all they give us that we can eat, and that is 
enough. Upon the whole I like these Italians. 
They are republican in their feelings, and some day 
they will cut loose from civil and ecclesiastical des- 
potism. In fact, there has been a great improve- 
ment in these matters within the past few years. 
The pope's bulls seem to create no sensation among 
the people, so far as we could learn. Religious and 
civil liberty seem to be enjoyed as much here as in 
any country we have visited. This is the first place 
on the Continent in which we have not been able to 
spend the time we desired; but the "Eternal City" 
attracts us, and soon we are to be off for romantic 
Switzerland. 



222 A Memphian's Tbip to Eueope. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Letters from the Rev. A. B. Whipple, President of Lansing- 
burgh College, New York. 

Venice, July 22, 1873. 
Tuesday at 6 a.m., after twenty-three consecutive 
hours in the cars, we were glad to get into gondolas 
and wend our way through water-streets, or canals, 
to the Hotel Victoria, for breakfast in Venice, ''the 
bride of the sea." In its best days it had a popula- 
tion of 200,000; now about one-half as many, and 
one-fourth of these helped as paupers. Fifteen 
thousand houses and palaces constitute Venice, 
built on three large and one hundred and fourteen 
small islands, formed by one hundred and forty- 
seven canals, united by three hundred and seventy- 
five bridges. The city is surrounded by a shallow 
bay twenty-five miles long and nine wide, protected 
from the open sea by long sand-hills, converted into 
bulwarks by solid masonry averaging thirty feet in 
height and forty-five in width. There are two 
kinds of bays, or lagoons — living or dead, or those 
in which the tide rises and falls, and those shallow 
and unafiected by the tides. Most of the houses 
rise immediately from the water, and all expeditious 
traveling is done in gondolas. There are many 
places of interest, chief of which is the Piazza of 
St. Mark and its surroundings. "Piazza" means a 
large open space; small ones are called '^campi." 
This is ^YQ hundred and seventy-five feet in length, 



Letters from Eev. A. B. Whipple. 223 

two hundred and sixty-eight in hreadth on the east, 
and one hundred and eighty-five feet on the west 
side. On three sides it is inclosed by imposing 
structures, forming one vast marble palace, black- 
ened by age and the elements, and looking, in fact, 
very much as if seen through a stereoscope. On the 
east is the Church of St. Mark and a small piazza, 
called Piazzetta, on the west of which is the ancient 
library of St. Mark. On the south is the Lagune, 
or "live bay." In this part of the piazza are two 
lofty granite columns — one surmounted by the 
winged Lion of St. Mark, the tutelary saint of 
Venice; the other column supports St. Theodore, 
on a crocodile, the patron of the old republic. You 
can easily infer what these emblems are designed to 
teach. On the north are the jprocuratia, or palaces 
of the "procurators," the highest officials in the re- 
public, and on the west the Atrio, or new palace, 
erected by I^apoleon in 1810, on the site of a former 
church. All these buildings surrounding the Piazza 
have their ground structures of arcades, in which are 
the cafes and shops, the grandest in the city. This 
Piazza is the focus of public life in Venice. Here 
rich and poor, on summer evenings, gather to enjoy 
the band of music, lemonade, cigars, conversation, 
sight-seeing, and purchases. 

I do not wonder that in this warm climate, and 
with such narrow streets and small accommoda- 
tions, most of the people live out of doors as much 
as possible. Even in the winter the band plays 
here in the open air from 2 to 4 p.m., and then this 
is the promenade of the fashionable world. 

Rather than try to give a running account of the 
whole city, let me in this letter be more special 
than hitherto, and confine my description to St. 
Mark's Church. I can do this, because I tarried in 
and around it longer than any other church in 
Europe. 



224 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

Some years ago a very rich man died, and left a 
very large sum of money to be annually expended, 
and perpetually, in one hundred masses per day for 
three days. One of these days we were there lis- 
tening to the service, employing the best singing 
talent of the Italians. Kot being a critic of the 
music, I let my eyes roam around the church, and 
read the Latin inscriptions under every painting 
and statue. (In parenthesis let me say, in all the 
churches and most of the galleries of paintings and 
art, we find Latin inscriptions, and he who can read 
them need not wait for a guide to explain in verj- 
poor English what he can read for himself.) I have 
mentioned St. Mark as the tutelary saint of Venice. 
This church was begun in 976, and finished in 1071, 
and lavishly decorated, with oriental magnificence, 
in after centuries. In form it is a Greek cross ; has 
equal arms, covered by a dome in the center, and 
one at the extremity of each arm — five domes. In- 
side and outside, the church is adorned and sup- 
ported by 'Q.ve hundred marble columns, with capi- 
tals in every variety of style. Mosaics of the tenth 
century cover forty thousand square feet, and the 
interior is lavishly decorated with gilding, bronze, 
and eastern marble. The conjoined efi*ect is pic- 
turesque, or fantastic, rather than seriously impres- 
sive. Without, and over the portal, are four horses 
in gilded bronze, some five feet high, made in 
the time of JSTero, well executed, and valuable as 
the sole specimen of an ancient four-horse team, 
pictured before a chariot. They once adorned the 
triumphal arch of Kero, next that of Trajan. Con- 
stantine took them to Constantinople, and Dandolo 
captured and brought them to Venice in 1207. 
Then ISTapoleon captured the place, and took them 
to Paris in 1797, and placed them on top of the 
triumphal arch in the Place du Carroussel, and in 
1815 the Emperor Francis brought them back to 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 225 

Venice, and they are now in their former position. 
Few horses have traveled so far, or had so many 
royal horse-thieves to run them out of one country 
into another, and, in common parlance, "show their 
oats so well." Mosaics below the horses and in the 
arches represent the Last Judgment, the embarka- 
tion at Alexandria of JSt. Mark's body, and its dis- 
embarkation at Venice, and on the left the venera- 
tion of the saint, and the church into which his 
relics were conveyed in the thirteenth century. The 
vaulting of the entrance-hall, entirely of mosaic, rep- 
resents Old Testament subjects, beginning on the 
right with the creation ; the new part, New Testa- 
ment scenes; while over the entrance is St. Mark, 
from a design by Titian; and the capitals of the 
columns are said to be from the Temple at Jerusa- 
lem. The interior is fifty-eight by two hundred and 
ten feet, and over the entrance-door is one of the 
oldest mosaics of the church, done in the eleventh 
century, representing Christ, Mary, and St. Mark. 
Approaching the altar, on the right and left are two 
pulpits of colored marble, and above, in mosaic, the 
genealogy of Mary. On the screen are fourteen 
statues in marble of Mark, Mary, and the Apostles. 
On the arches each side of the choir are five bronze 
reliefs from events in the life of St. Mark. Beneath 
the high altar, as the marble slab says, repose the 
relics of St. Mark. Back of the high altar is 
another slab, with four spiral columns of alabaster, 
two of which are semi-transparent, and are said to 
have belonged to the temple of Solomon. Li the 
right aisle, near the west portal, in the center, is the 
baptistery, a large bronze fount made in 1546, and 
above it is John the Baptist. The stone above the 
altar is said to be from Mount Tabor. Left of the 
altar is the heart of John the Baptist, a work of 
art, and beneath it the stone on which he is said to 
have been beheaded. In the right transept one enters 
10^ 



226 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

the Treasury of St. Mark, where is shown the cover of 
the Books of the Gospels, brought from the Church 
of St. Sophia, at Constantinople, decorated with gold 
and jewels; a crystal vase with the ''blood of the 
Saviour;" a silver column, with a fragment of the 
''True Cross;" a cup of agate, with a portion of 
the "skull of St. John;" an episcopal throne of the 
seventh century, said to be that of St. Mark; and 
other equally curious things. 

Thus far I have noticed some of the most note- 
worthy objects within and about this wonderful 
church, now the Cathedral of Venice. I have failed 
to describe the "thousand-and-one" paintings which 
also adorn it — Bible history to repletion; every 
prophet, priest, and king; every evangelist and 
martyr, and a tree full of eager Zachariahs ; mothers 
and children, clothed and unclothed, without num- 
ber. At these strange works of genius, trying to 
express in colors verbal pictures from Holy Writ, I 
sat and gazed, while the music was rolling through 
vaulted aisles and corridors and domes, and thou- 
sands on bended knees about me were joining in a 
service lavishly paid for to help a soul out of pur- 
gatory; while the very Saviour so many times pict- 
ured above and around us all, is ever inviting all to 
come to him, without money and without price. I 
Vv^ould find no fault with all these beautiful churches 
and their wonderful artistic adornment; nor do I 
wonder that in this land, educated to it, these peo- 
ple are devout Catholics. To tear them away from 
all their beautiful churches and the service in which 
they take delight and have faith will require more 
than mere human power. Nor can I wonder that 
Oliver Cromwell, that stern old Puritan, when he 
saw the devotion of the people to their churches 
and works of art, thought it needful to demolish 
them. Yet I do not think it would be wise to make 
a grand crusade against all works of art. Rightly 



Letters from Eev. A. B. Whipple. 22T 

educated, people will learn that love of the beauti- 
ful and love of the holy are two distinct things, and 
that we may have both, and so worship Gocl with 
the heart and with the understanding. I have seen 
no church or picture yet which I should be willing 
to bow before and worship. Yet, every day, as I 
see so much, in spirit I am grateful to Hi'm who 
gives to men such privileges and powers. 

GrENEVA, Augiist 2, 1873. 

Once more I find a few moments' leisure to Avrite 
to friends 4,000 miles aw^ay and tell them that since 
last writing I have been for the best part of five 
days in Rome. Of this city it is somewhat difficult 
to speak; for it is "■multiimin parvo," or " e pluribus 
unum;'' i.e., there is much in one place, or there are 
many cities grown out of one. Hence, in a descrip- 
tion of Rome, one is led to ask. Which Rome shall 
be described ? Eor here is the old pagan Rome, as 
founded by Romulus, with a portion of its wall 
remaining; the very place also where, in the midst 
of sacred games instituted for the purpose, he 
seized the Sabine virgins, and also the battle-field 
where, to prevent farther bloodshed, these same 
seized women rushed between the armies, stayed 
the contest, formed a union of Romans and Sabines, 
and so rendered the oria^inal walls needless. This 
is the Rome founded 753 years B.C., or, to be exact, 
2,527 years ago, on the 23d of last April. The rapid 
growth of the ancient city must be attributed greatly 
to its situation, the most central in the peninsula, 
alike adapted for a great commercial town and for 
the capital of a vast empire ; for then, with small 
vessels, it had large intercourse with the Mediterra- 
nean. To describe this Rome is to speak of it as a 
kingdom. On the Palatine Hill was the walled city 
of Romulus ; on the Quirinal sprang up the city of 
the Sabines, afterward united, as mentioned above, 



228 A>*Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

eacli retaining its peculiar temples and sanctuaries, 
with the Forum between them and common to both, 
an assembly focus for the entire State. Around 
these twin hills, on five others, as suburbs, exten- 
sive settlements sprang up, increasing in population 
both by increase of business and because conquered 
Latin towns were frequently transplanted thither. 
Such was the earliest Kome. Out of these mixed 
elements, a new civic community took its origin to- 
ward the close of the period of kings ; and the 
Servian wall much larger ; the remains of this wall 
show a moat without and a rampart within of great 
solidity, surrounding the seven hills, some seven 
miles in circumference. While thus strengthening 
the city against invasions from without, the kings 
were no less anxious to embellish the interior with 
handsome buildings. To this period belongs the 
Circus in the valley between the Palatine and Aven- 
tine hills. The Circus is a kind of a race-course, 
with elliptical course, in a long valley, with seats on 
each side for spectators, enough to accommodate 
120,000. Here took place athletic exercises and 
various games for the amusement of the people, and 
the exhibitions of wild animals brought from con- 
quered countries. You will remember that there 
w^ere no pictures of animals then, as now, nor Bar- 
num's menagerie, and so the greatest curiosity was 
excited when a victorious army from Asia or Africa 
brought the wild animals, as well as kings and 
slaves, and exhibited them to the thousands gath- 
ered on either side the Circus to gratify their curi- 
osity and, no doubt, hurrah for the Eoman soldiers 
returning victorious. Then, also, was built the 
Cloaca Maxima, or great sewer or drain, which 
made available the swampy site of the Roman 
Forum. Through this massive construction we 
could see the rushing waters, wiiile far above, and 
over the road of the ancient Forum, more modern 



Letters from Eev. A. B. Whipple. 229 

sewers are emptying the dirtier waters of a later 
Rome. These grand developments of the ancient, 
and still admired city, were due to the energy of 
the Tarquinian kings, whose last king, Tarquinius 
Superhus, was expelled in 509. So we have noticed 
two Romes, both now the deep foundations of still 
later Romes. Most of what I now desci'ibe has 
been brought to light by the last ITapoleon, who 
purchased the gardens of the Palatine hills, simply 
that he might excavate, and so certify himself of 
facts, when he was compiling a history of Cesar. 
After the expulsion of the kings came the third 
Rome, or the Republic. During the first century, 
the Republic had a hard time in establishing its 
supremacy, and once, with the exception of the 
capitol, was wholly destroyed by the Gauls. It was 
only a transient loss to the prestige of Rome, but 
produced a marked change in the external features 
of the city. The work of resurrection was begun 
with zeal and pride of industry rather than of beauty; 
for the streets were narrow and crooked, and the 
houses poor and unattractive, and Rome was then 
far from being attractive or handsome as a city. 
Her steady increase in power could not fail to have 
a good influence on her architecture. During this 
period the first aqueduct was made, traces of which 
remain, and the first high road, the Appian Way. 
Down to the Punic wars, Rome had not extended 
beyond the walls of Servius Tullius. The overthrow 
of Carthage made Rome the mistress of the world ; 
and the wall had to give way for new buiklings. 
Speculation was now active, and real estate and 
rents greatly advanced; fortunes were made, and 
palaces were constructed with fabulous magnificence 
and luxury. Claudius, for instance, Cicero's oppo- 
nent, paid nearly $700,000 for his palace. In the 
last century B.C., Rome began to look like the 
world's capital — streets were paved, hitherto not, 



230 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

and the ambition of the opulent nobles was to erect 
sumptuous public buildings, whereby to perpetuate 
their names. So Cato built the first Basilica, or 
Court-house, in the Forum. Remember, the Forum 
is not a building, but a large public assembly-place, 
where various l3usiness was transacted; but con- 
stantly improved and adorned with works of art and 
the like ; then with columns and arcades, then the 
Basilica, etc. Theaters were all out of doors, like 
the Circus, till Pompey founded the first one of 
stone. A change, from a republic into a military 
despotism, involved a new period of architecture. 
Usurpers generally exercise their energies in de- 
stroying the works and monuments of their prede- 
cessors, and then try to outdo them, and such were 
Cesar's plans ; and now, of all the ruins of ancient 
Rome, the buildings of Augustine rank highest in 
number and impcfrtance. Take the Pantheon, for 
instance, the only building entirely preserved of an- 
cient Rome — a huge circular structure, with vast 
colonnades and strikingly imposing in aspect; walls 
of brick-work, covered with marble and stucco, 
formerly five steps above the pavement, it is now 
below. The portico has fifteen columns of granite, 
thirty-eight feet high, eight in front; the others 
form three colonnades, vaulted and terminating in 
niches in which colossal statues of Augustus and 
his son-in-law, M. Agrippa, stood, with an inscrip- 
tion on the frieze showing the edifice was erected 
B.C. 27. It is illuminated wholly by an aperture 
in the center of the dome, producing so pleasing an 
efiect that, even in ancient times, it caused the be- 
lief that the temple derived its appellation, Pantheon, 
from its resemblance to the vault of heaven. Within 
were seven large niches, containing statues of Mars, 
Venus, Cesar, etc. The entire roof was covered 
with gilded bronze tiles, which Constantine 11. re- 
moved to Constantinople, and Gregory III. replaced 



Letters from Eev. A. B. Whipple. 231 

them by lead. Eleven thermse, or bathing houses, 
were also built, each large enough for 15,000 bathers, 
with warm and cold water ; these were huge build- 
ings, with magnificent rooms in mosaics and marble, 
and richly decorated with statues and paintings. 
We were shown through the remains of one, grand 
in its ruins, covering forty acres. During this age 
no less than eighty-two temples were restored, and 
other works in proportion, so that Augustus boasted 
that he found Kome a town of brick and turned it 
into marble. Up to about one hundred ^^ears B.C. 
marble quarries were not known near Rome. Future 
history brings its destruction, and fire leaves its 
devastations, till again the glory of Bome has de- 
parted, and the palaces of the Cesars, in their mighty 
ruins, remain to suggest their past grandeur; and 
we get some idea of Cesar's ample palace, when we 
learn that in its completeness it occupied more 
ground than all the area inclosed within the city 
walls first built by Bomulus. I have written thus 
of early Rome, because as a teacher it is Latin, not 
Italian, Rome about which we stud}-, and to which 
reference is so often made in school-books and 
learned essays. We had as guide Mr. S. Wood, 
twenty-two years a resident of the city, and one of 
the most reliable archaeologists of the present time. 
He has watched the excavation during the past 
years, and could tell all the history of the past, and 
how he could tell by the brick or by the impressions 
to what age any structure belonged. Of modern 
Rome, its 365 churches full of old relics and adorned 
with fine paintings, of the Coliseum and St. Peter's 
Church, of the Vatican and its magnificent works of 
art, of its present busy street life, this letter can only 
hint; for you know I shall want something to talk 
about on my return. This I can say for the hotel 
where we stay, we get the least food for the most 
money of any place we have yet seen. 



232 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

Letter from Kev. C. W. Gushing, President of Auburndale 
College, Massachusetts. 

London, August 21, 1873. 

To write a letter upon Eome which shall give 
even an outline of the interesting ruins which have 
heen brought to light by recent excavations would 
make an epistle quite too long for a newspaper ; so 
I shall speak of but very few of the objects of in- 
terest upon which we looked with wonder. First 
of all I want to dispel the popular illusion that it 
is fatal to visit Eome in the summer months, on 
account of the malaria which is so prevalent there. 
Our company, consisting of forty-five men and 
women — a large majority of them women — went 
from Florence to Rome, July 25tb, and left on the 
30th. During these days we were all in perfect 
health, though we disregarded all the precautions 
which had been given us in regard to night air, and 
remained out on the Campagna or elsewhere until 
ten o'clock at night, or even later. 

When we arrived in Rome, Professor Shakspeare 
"Woods, who has resided in Rome for twenty-two 
years, advising and encouraging the excavations, 
met us at the hotel, and promised us every possible 
assistance during our stay. He also assured us that 
we need have no anxiety in regard to malaria. He 
told us that, as head of the health department, he 
had received weekly reports for the last two years, 
which showed Rome to be the healthiest city in 
Italy, and that there were but two cities in Europe 
as healthful. Professor Woods is reputed the best 
living archaeologist, and whatever statements I shall 
make in regard to the ruins of Rome will be upon 
his authority. He assured us that whatever state- 
ments he should make concerning the age and iden- 
tity of these ruins would be upon authority and 
evidence which were unquestionable. With these 
assurances we started on our explorations, with him 



Letter from Kev. C. W. Gushing. 233 

for our guide, at seven o'clock in the morning of 
the 28th of July, and continued with him two full 
days. 

Our first point was the ancient palaces of the 
Cesars, one of the principal parts of which is the 
Palace of Tiberius. This palace was enlarged and 
changed by successive emperors, until it covered an 
area which is almost fabulous. The location is on 
the ancient Palatine, the spot on which ancient 
Eome was founded on the 23d of April, 2,627 years 

In looking at these ruins, one is impressed at the 
outset with the grandeur of the old Poman charac- 
ter. The public buildings were on a scale of mag- 
nificence never equaled. But they are buildings 
upon buildings. Indeed, Pome is a city upon cities. 

Standing on the Palatine, three arches mark the 
site of the old Basilica of Constantine, which was 
erected on the site of the ancient Temple of Peace. 
Before you, looking southward into the valley 
below, was the great Circus Maximus, between the 
Palatine and Aventine, where the games of Pomulus 
took place. The buildhig would accommodate 
485,000 persons. Here was where the rape of the 
Sabines took place. ITear this, on the Palatine, is 
the famous Arch of Titus. 

The ruins of the house of Domitian were trav- 
ersed; also the great entrance hall, where emperors 
after Domitian received embassadors. Portions of 
the beautiful marble floor still remain. Lying about 
in diflerent directions were portions of the immense 
porphyry columns which were in the adjoining 
dining-room. In a large open court, into which the 
dining-room opened by spacious windows, were the 
remains of large fountains, elaborate in plan and 
profuse with ornament, which were kept in play to 
cool the air in the dining-room. The pavement in 
the room of the fountains, portions of which still 



234 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

remain, was of Oriental alabaster, l^ear this were 
the remains of the house of Augustus. The walls 
on which the foundations of these buildings rested 
were of great height, often seventy-live to a hun- 
dred feet, built up from the valley below, and of 
immense thickness. They were strengthened by 
arches, which were built in all through them. The 
bricks in these walls are as perfect as when first laid. 

Prom this point, in full view just over the hill, 
was the Appian Way, and the gate where Paul 
entered Rome. To see it, we stood on the ground 
floor of the portico, built by the Emperor Septimus 
Severus, two hundred years A.C., for the purpose 
of extending his palace. It was at least seventy 
feet above the valley below. One room was found 
in this palace which was originally lined entirely 
with silver, set with gems. 

'Near this were portions of the original wall built 
by Romulus, soon after founding Rome. The walls 
are very thick, built of stone — mostly tufa — fitting 
very closely, and laid without mortar. Recent ex- 
cavations have removed all doubts from the minds 
of archaeologists in regard to the founding of Rome, 
and have confirmed the statement so long regarded 
mythical, that Romulus was the real founder of 
Rome. 

In the ruins of the Palace of the Emperor Cali- 
gula, the stucco on the ceilings, and a marble rail- 
ing forming a balustrade to a balcony, were very 
perfect and beautiful. The large portico where 
Caligula used to walk sleepless nights is still com- 
plete, and the original mosaic pavements are well 
preserved. 

We next entered the house of Tiberius Claudius 
Kero, the fatber of the Emperor Nero, built one 
hundred years B.C., and anterior to the Palace of 
the Cesars. The paintings on the walls are very 
perfect. In many instances the colors are as rich 



Letter from Eev. C. W. CusHma. 235 

and brilliant, and the features on the faces as per- 
fect, as if painted yesterday. There is no marble in 
this building, as it was not used for building pur- 
poses until one hundred years A.C. The wreaths 
of fruit and flowers, with elaborate friezes, are still 
fresh and beautiful, though they have been buried 
for centuries. These private buildings have been 
exhumed within a few years, some of them within 
a few months, from beneath the foundation of the 
Palace of the Emperors. They were filled up in 
order to raise the foundations to a greater height. 

The palace, or palaces of the successive emperors, 
which were erected upon these foundations, covered 
at least thirty acres. The marble and granite of 
which they were built were all brought from Egypt. 

The Baths of Caracalla were next visited. These 
were built by the emperor whose name they bear, 
216 A.C, entirely for the use of the people. They 
accommodated 1,600 persons at once. There were 
eleven of these baths in the city, for the accommo- 
dation of the people. The floors and walls of this 
one were covered with the most beautiful marble. 
Its size was 750 by 500 feet, inclosed by walls one- 
fourth of a mile in length, and containing forty 
acres. Besides every kind of bath, from Turkish to 
swimming, there were gardens, a stadium, and 
rooms for exercise and intellectual culture. The 
methods of heating the rooms and baths were fully 
as perfect as those of the best baths of modern 
times. The niches in the walls were filled with 
statues of the most beautiful workmanship. The 
celebrated statue of Hercules leaning on his club 
was found here. Many of the best statues now 
scattered through Europe were taken from these 
ruins. Shelley's Prometheus unbound was written 
on the overhanging point, at least sixty feet above 
where we were standing. I measured the brick 
walls and arches, and found that they were five feet 



236 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

and nine inches in thickness. On each story was a 
floor in porphyry, serpentine, and marble, wrought 
in most beautiful figures of mosaic. Scattered 
through the rooms here and there were immense 
porphyry columns, brought from Egypt. For the 
foundation of these baths, Caracalla filled in and 
destroyed villas two stories high, the ruins of which 
are apparent by the excavations which are still going 
on. The workmen were uncovering large columns 
and rare statues the day we were there. 

"We next visited the Coliseum. These are the 
most perfect ruins in Eome. Although the stones 
and brick have been removed from this magnificent 
old building for centuries alrriost without limit, 
uiitil not more than one-third of it now remains, 
still the value of the material remaining is esti- 
mated by an architect at one-half million pounds 
sterling, or two and a half millions of dollars. All 
of the 365 churches of modern Rome were built 
out of the ruins of ancient Rome, and all the statu- 
ary in these churches was taken from these ancient 
buildings, and the Coliseum furnished its full share. 

Barbarina Palace, with all its ornaments, was 
built entirely from the Coliseum. In the seven- 
teenth century. Pope Benedictine XIY. built all 
around upon the inside of it little stations or chapels, 
and dedicated it to Christ and the blood of all the 
martyrs, so that it became sacred, since which the 
vandalism has ceased. 

The Coliseum was built by order of the Emperor 
Flavins Yespasian, on the site of the stagnum of 
jN'ero's garden. It was built originally for the 
exhibition of wild animals brought from different 
countries as trophies of war. It was opened by 
games of one hundred days, in which 5,000 wild 
beasts were slain. These were driven around the 
ring and then slain in sight of the spectators. In 
later days these beasts were made to fight together, 



Letter from Kev, C. W. Gushing. 237 

and then with gladiators. There were large rollers 
all around the outside of the ring, so that when the 
beasts attempted to jump out thej would inevitably 
be rolled back. 

The building was a masterpiece of architectural 
skill, both in plan and construction. Its form is an 
oval, 1,900 feet, or nearly two-fifths of a mile in cir- 
cumference. Its greatest diameter is 658 feet, and 
its shortest 558, while its height was 202 feet. The 
seats, which were arranged around the building, 
tier above tier, each tier receding from the one be- 
low it, were covered, wherever it was desirable, by 
an awning, which rested upon masts fastened to the 
walls. The building rested upon rows of arches, 
through which were the entrances. There were 
eighty of these .entrances, so that the building could 
be emptied in the shortest possible space of time. 
The outside tier of these arches was of stone and 
the rest of brick. On measuring the piers on which 
these arches rested, I found them to be nine feet 
square. 

The building seated 87,000 persons, and furnished 
standing room for 20,000 more. This makes modern 
coliseums look small, and yet the seats were so ar- 
ranged that every person in the building could see 
what was taking place in every part of the ring 
below. The whole of the outside tier of arches was 
taken away, excepting a small place on the north- 
east side, before the stripping was forbidden. One 
stands amazed before the ruins of such buildings, 
and wonders at the public enterprise which con- 
structed such magnificent monuments. We think 
of the men who could accomplish such marvelous 
works more as a race of demigods than of men. 

The ruins of the Golden Palace of Nero on the 
Esquiline, next claimed our attention. This is far 
removed from the other palaces of the emperors ; 
and yet constitutes a part of the great palace, and 



238 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

was connected with tliem by underground passages. 
This building is nearly 1,800 years old. It was built 
in matchless magnificence. The ceiling of the 
dining-room was made to revolve, so as to shower 
perfumes on the heads of the guests as they sat at 
the table. Trajan filled this building with rubbish 
and arches, which he built all through it, regardless 
of its magnificence, to make a foundation for his 
baths, which he built on top of it. The baths have 
been demolished for centuries, and a vegetable gar- 
den flourishes on the site, while the ruins of this 
golden palace, which have been buried and for- 
gotten for ages, are just brought to light. Some 
of the frescoes on the ceiling are still very brilliant, 
and the figures are surprisingly perfect. The build- 
ing is of immense proportions, and the walls very 
high. 

Another class of ruins is of special interest to 
Christians. Among these stands first the Church 
of St. Clement. This is of the Basilican form, and 
very antique. It has been supposed, since the time 
of Jerome until within fifteen years, that this was 
the church built upon the house of Clement. But 
by excavations it was found that there was another 
church under this ; and a large church, complete in 
every part, with the most elaborate frescoes, and 
paintings representing scenes in Christian history 
well known to the fathers, all preserved with almost 
miraculous perfection, was brought to light, directly 
under the church in which they had worshiped for 
centuries. Many of the rooms in this old church 
have been entirely cleared, so that we could wander 
through them with our wax tapers without any ob- 
struction. The paintings and mottoes on the walls 
prove beyond doubt that this is the, original church 
of St. Clement. 

But it was known that this church was built upon 
the house of St. Clement. So with our wax tapers 



Letter from Rev. C. W. Gushing. 239 

we prepared again to descend, and soon found our- 
selves wandering through the damp halls of the very 
house where Paul was entertained by St. Clement. 
In it was the prison-like chapel in which they 
doubtless worshiped before the erection of the 
church. This was subsequently confiscated, and 
consecrated to the worship of Mithorias. The altar 
still stands in the center, on which are the carvings 
representing this worship. 

Here, then, is an ancient church, standing upon 
the top of another church, and this upon the top of 
what was once a private house, and all in the most 
perfect state of preservation. 

And this is a brief glance at some points of inter- 
est in ancient Rome as it is to-day. What Rome 
will be, time and work only can tell. 



240 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Switzerland — From Rome to Greneva — Scenes by the wayside 
— The indescribable splendor of the Alps — On the shores of 
Lake Geneva. 

Geneva, August 2, 1873. 

I WROTE you the morning we left Eome, inclosing 
the publication of the pope, issued the day pre- 
vious. Some of our party were not well pleased 
with the hotel there, and knowing they were to have 
no dinner until we arrived at Pisa, at nine o'clock 
that night, were disposed to make a "square meal" 
of their breakfast. You must bear in mind that 
only one kind of meat (beef) is famished for break- 
fast. It is cut up in pieces about three inches long 
and two wide. One of these is all that is allowed 
one person. Those who took more had to pay extra 
for it — one of them, five francs. The fact is, their 
whole system seems to be to furnish as little as pos- 
sible, and get as much for it as they can. J^otwith- 
standing the heat, we would like to have remained a 
day or two longer in this city. Our time is out, and 
we are off in a circuitous route around the suburbs, 
recognizing the ]3yramid at the Protestant cemetery, 
St. Paul's Church, and the place where he was be- 
headed. 

The country, after we leave the immediate vicinity 
of Rome on this route, is very poor. The mount- 
ains on one side, and the Mediterranean on the 
other, with the fine sea-breeze, made it a very pleas- 
ant trip. "We pass the island of Corsica, where the 



Pisa — The Cathedral — Leaning Tower. 241 

great man whose influence was felt all over this 
country was born; also, the island of Elba, where 
he spent some time after his reverses, previous to 
his final overthrow. Here, too, another man of dis- 
tinction arises. The discoverer of America was 
born at Genoa. We stop awhile at Leghorn, one 
of the most pleasant cities in Europe. It is the 
great emporium of foreign goods and manufactures 
consumed in this part of Italy. The squares and 
streets are regular and well paved, clean and nice. 
We spend the night at Pisa, one of the most ancient 
and beautiful cities in Europe. Soon after break- 
fast we take carriages to see the four great sights of 
the city. 

The Cathedral was begun in 1063. It is of the 
nave form, and double aisles, two hundred and 
ninety-two feet in length, with galleries over the 
aisles. The dome is of white marble, with black 
and colored ornamentation. The church was con- 
secrated by Pope Gelasius IL, in 1118. There are 
a number of line paintings, and some superb mo- 
saic-work. The refitting commenced in 1153, but 
was not completed till 1278. It is a beautiful struc- 
ture of marble, of circular form, surmounted b}' a 
conical dome one hundred and seventy-four feet 
hio^h. The interior rests on eio;ht columns and four 
pillars, adorned with beautiful marble rosettes. The 
pulpit, which is said to be the finest in the world, is 
borne by seven columns, representing the Annunci- 
ation, Nativit}^, Adoration, Presentation, Crucifix- 
ion, Last Judgment, and Martyrdom of John the 
Baptist. The place for baptizing, both for adults 
and infants, is a most wonderful piece of work- 
manship, brought from Constantinople. 

The Tower, commenced in 11T4, and completed 

in 1350, rises in eight stories, with half columns and 

colonnades. Its oblique position (twelve feet) out 

of the perpendicular height (one hundred and fif- 

11 



242 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

teen feet) gives it the name of the Leaning Tower. 
We ascended by two hundred and ninety-four steps 
to the top, where we had a fine view of the city and 
its environs — the sea to the west, and mountains on 
the east. The tower contains six bells, one of them 
weighing six tons, suspended on the side opposite 
the overhanging wall of the tower. 

The Campa Santa, or burying-ground near by, 
was founded between 1188 and 1200. After the 
loss of the Holy Land, the Archbishop brought fifty- 
three ships' load of earth from Mount Calvary, in 
order that the dead might repose in holy ground. 
The tombstones form the pavement around the 
tombs or vaults, out of which the bodies had been 
taken. The sarcophagi are inscribed with the names 
of persons who once occupied them, some of whom 
were royal Romans. On the walls are some of the 
largest paintings I have ever seen, among which 
are Paradise, Purgatory, The Last Judgment, Hell, 
and others — the three latter being most frightful to 
look upon. 

Pisa became a Roman colony 180 years before 
the Christian era. In the middle ages it attained 
considerable eminence, and became the rival of 
Venice and Genoa. It has now only about, fifty 
thousand inhabitants. 

The country from here to Florence is beautiful — 
mountains on either side, with a valley highly culti- 
vated with olives and vegetables. We dine at Flo- 
rence, and are o& in the evening for Turin. For 
some distance the country is very hilly, with nu- 
merous tunnels, after passing which we emerge out 
in a fine country, perhaps the most productive in 
Italy. 

This place was founded by Hannibal, B.C. 218. 
It was formerly the capital of Italy. From 1859 to 
1865 the king resided here. It is evidently on the 
decline. It has, however, a fine old university, with 



Off for Switzerland. 243 

two thousand students. It has an obelisk seventy- 
four feet high, erected in 1854 to commemorate the 
abolition of ecclesiastical jurisdiction and the es- 
tablishment of the Constitution, and was erected 
with the consent of the king and chambers. The 
names of all the towns and provinces which voted 
for the suppression of the Spiritual Courts are in- 
scribed on the column. 

Here we can see the cloud-capped mountains, 
covered with snow, and the smoke ascending from 
the summits of a number of them, and the white 
clouds hanging around them — all together forming 
a spectacle that is inexpressibly grand and beautiful. 

The bell rings for breakfast, and I leave this for 
another time. 

Being desirous of writing up to this place, I re- 
sume. 

We pass Chamborg, the capital of the Depart- 
ment of Savoy, with twenty thousand inhabitants. 
It was here that, in 1248, a great land-slide de- 
scended and overwhelmed sixteen villages. This 
portion of the Alps is where Napoleon built a road 
in 1802; and it has been the principal channel of 
communication between France and Italy, and is 
one of the safest of the Alpine passes. The sum- 
mit is 6,848 feet above the sea-level. We pass 
through Mont Cenis tunnel, which is the longest in 
the world, being eight and one-eighth miles. It 
took us about half an hour to run through it. It 
was built by the French and Italian Governments. 
The latter progressed more rapidly, owing to the 
softer nature of the rock, and completed their por- 
tion in ITovember, 1869, while on the French side 
it was not finished till 1871. It is the grandest un- 
dertaking of modern times. It is lit up so that you 
can see the sides and the arch above. 

You can see the crystal streams leaping from 
these mountains, hundreds of feet, almost perpen- 



244 A Memphian's Teip to Europe. 

dicularly, from the melting snow above. Alto- 
gether, it is the grandest display of "mountain 
upon mountain piled" that I have ever seen. Some- 
times the fleecy clouds which hang around their 
summits seem to mingle with them in delightful 
splendor, picturesquely magnificent. IsTo words can 
adequately describe this Alpine country. 

As we pass into Switzerland an officer of the 
government demands our passports. This is the 
first time they have been called for. In looking for 
mine he saw a letter addressed to me, and asked 
me if that was my name, which was all he required. 
On entering France, a few hours before, we simply 
told the officer we had them, when he examined, or 
rather marked, our baggage. For the last two or 
three days we have found a crowd of travelers. 
Most of them, I believe, are Americans, sight-see- 
ing, and traveling for health. 

We arrived at this place last night, and are pleas- 
antly situated at the Hotel de Kusse, within a few 
feet of the lake. Rev. Dr. Speer and myself havef 
a room opening on the lake, which is as clear as 
crystal, and running as rapidly as a mill-tail. It is 
forty-five miles long, and varies in width from one 
and one-half to eight and one-half miles, containing 
an area of two hundred and sixty square miles. At 
this point the lake emerges into the Rhone, Avhich 
causes the rapid current, as it is only about two 
hundred yards wide opposite our hotel. The river 
divides the city into two halves, which are connected 
b}^ six bridges. The lake is surrounded by mount- 
ains towering away up among the clouds. I stand 
in my door and look away in the distance, and see 
Mont Blanc, with the smoke ascending from its 
summit. This is a grand old town — not much to 
attract attention in the wa}^ of cathedrals, statuary, 
and painting; but it has JSTature's sublime attrac- 
tions spread all around, above and belowj with a 



Geneva— "Watchmaking. 245 

cool, refreshing breeze from tlie lake, invigorating 
the body, and cheering to us, who have been in 
Italy ten or twelve days, and for the last twenty-six 
hours on the road. This is the most inviting place 
we have seen in Europe. Then the government 
and people are what we desired to see. They seem 
to be more like Americans at the hotel than at any 
place we have been. We met here another section 
of the party, who are to leave this evening; also. 
Brother With erspoon, who has been in Switzerland 
while we went to Italy. His health is greatly im- 
proved. 

My sheet is full ; so I will close, leaving what I 
ma}^ have to say of Geneva until after I go out to 
look around at it from other points than the eleva- 
tion of the seventh story of the hotel on the lake. 



Picturesque Switzerland — The watches and music-boxes of 
Geneva — Eambles afoot. 

Geneva, August 4, 1873. 

I wrote on Saturday, giving some items about 
this place. Having gone over the place, I sketch 
some things I saw before leaving here. 

Geneva is celebrated for its watches and musical 
boxes. The watchmakers have the greatest repute 
of any in the world. We got a ticket of admission 
to enter one of the most extensive manufactories, to 
see the process of making watches, from the com- 
mencement to the completion of them. This estab- 
lishment employs over three thousand hands. Each 
man has his special work to do. They carry one 
thousand watches through at the same time, all pre- 
cisely the same size, each watch containing about 
one hundred and fifty pieces. This manufactory is 
well Avorth seeing. 

We also went to the music-box manufactory. 
The works are not very large, but require great 
skill and genius to make what they do. 



246 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

This city was the residence of John Calvin after 
the reformed religion was established by law. At 
the Academy, founded by him, is a reading-room 
containing thirty thousand volumes. 

Here, also, was the residence of Yoltaire. 

The arbitrators of the Alabama claims, between 
England and America, sat here last year, holding 
their meetings in the Turn Halle. 

Saturday evening we walked up the lake some dis- 
tance, where we had a better view of the mountain 
scenery, especially Mont Blanc. It is perfectly 
white, as it is covered with snow. It is outside of 
Switzerland, on the border of French Savoy and 
Italy. It is among the highest points in Europe 

This is, no doubt, one of the most healthy coun- 
tries to be found, and is a great place of resort by 
travelers. From the number of American hotels 
and newspapers here, one can scarcely realize that 
he is so far away from home. There are quite a 
number of boats running in the lake, making trips 
to different points at regular intervals. 

The city has wide, well-paved streets, kept very 
clean. I passed through the manufacturing por- 
tion, and found it to be kept in fine order. Take it 
all together, it is the most romantic, picturesque 
city we have seen. The commingling of mountain 
and lake, snow and green foliage, streets extending 
across lake and river, bath-houses and washerwomen, 
islands and shrubbery, with a busy multitude by 
day and night, is beautifully spread out from where 
I write. The rising and setting sun is never seen 
here, because of the mountains rising far away 
above the horizon, nor does it shine so intensely as 
in Italy. 

Sabbath morning a number of our party started, 
soon after breakfast, to hear Pere Hyacinthe preach. 
After missing our way several times, we found the 
place, but missed the preacher, as he did not ofli- 



Religious Services in Geneva. 247 

ciate yesterday. We then went to the Greek-Rus- 
sian Church; but there was no service. Most of 
the party returned to the hotel. I found a Walden- 
sian service, after which I went to the English 
church. There was but a small congregation. Dr. 
Gray, of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, 
preached there at twelve o'clock to some sixty or 
seventy persons, nearly all Americans or English. 
Bishop Foster, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
who had been holding a Conference in Germany, 
was there. I had known him for many years, and 
was glad to meet him. This was John Calvin's 
Church, where he preached and where he lived. 
His chair is kept as a sacred relic. There were 
quite a number of ministers who sat down in it. 
On our way to the hotel we went into the American 
Episcopal Church. The Sabbath is better observed 
here than at any place we have been in Europe. 

From all I can see and learn, Protestants are 
doing very little in this country. We have attended 
their service everywhere, but have never seen any 
place where they seem to be effecting any thing of 
consequence. I made the acquaintance of a Meth- 
odist minister; but he had no service yesterday. 

The people here have more liberal views of poli- 
tics and religion than in any place we have been. 
Civil and religious liberty are enjoyed here, perhaps, 
to a greater extent than under any of the other Eu- 
ropean governments. They seem to be an intelli- 
gent, induatrious people; but they have but little 
territory, and that, to a great extent, mountainous. 
There is no room for expansion. If half of them 
would come to our country, they would improve 
themselves and give more room to those who re- 
main. It seems to me, if proper efforts were made, 
thousands of them would go where their energies 
would have room for development, and their genius 
be appreciated. 



248 A Memphian's Trip to Eueope. 

Y/e leave on a lake boat after breakfast for Lau- 
sanne, thence by rail to Berne. 



Beautiful Berne — The Swiss love of home — Life and habits 
of the Bernese — The wonderful clock of 1191 — The 
Lake of Geneva. 

Berne, Switzerland, August 5, 1873. 

We had a most delightful sail up Geneva Lake. 
The mountains slope down to the valley, which is 
in the highest state of cultivation. We pass several 
villages which look like they had seen several cen- 
turies pass over them. The lake is of a deep blue 
color, and is said to have twenty different kinds of 
fish, highly esteemed by the people. This beautiful 
lake has been the theme of writers for centuries. 
The magnolia and the cedar grow in great luxu- 
riance, while the vine-clad hills look beautiful to 
their summits. One of the Rothschilds has a fine 
residence here. At Aven is an ancient castle of 
Roman stjde, with five towers, built in the twelfth 
century. We leave the steamer at Lausanne, capital 
of the Canton de Vand, 26,000 population. It is 
most delightfully situated on the terraced slopes. 
Mont Josat overshadows it by its cathedral on one 
side, and its castle on the other. 

The Svnss Homes. — There we take the cars ; and 
such a country we have never seen before, and 
never expect to see again. The steep and lofty 
mountains and valle3"s, all covered with evergreens 
or cultivated with vines, vegetables, or grain, with 
the sloping valleys, giving views sometimes as far 
as the eye can reach, become grander. As the train 
proceeds, the amphitheater of mountains, like a 
magnificent panorama, passes before you in such 
rapid succession, that one can scarcely realize the fact 
that it is not an illusion. Having exhausted my 
vocabulary of description, I cease to attempt it by 
saying, no wonder the Swiss love their mountain 



An Arcadian City. 249 

home, and that their officers, in time of war, will 
not suffer their songs to be sung while away from 
them. 

We arrive at Berne, and find a fine hotel. At 
Geneva, Kev. Dr. Speer and myself were in the 
seventh story, where we had a fine view of the lake 
and mountains. Here, our room i| on the first story, 
and yet we are one hundred feet above the valley. 
We look over the tops of the houses, and see the 
sloping mountains in the distance, and near by the 
Swiss cottages with their busy occupants. We arrive 
a little before 5 o'clock, and some of our party saw 
the first striking of the great clock, of which I will 
speak before I close. 

An Arcadian City. — This city joined the Confed- 
eracy in 1353, and is still the most important of the 
Swiss Cantons. It is built on a peninsula of sand- 
stone rock, formed by the windings of the Aar. 
The houses are built on arcades, in the principal 
part of the city, beneath which the pavement for 
foot-passengers runs. We took walks in several 
directions, and find the stores, shops, and dwellings 
all have these arcades. The men work here, and 
the women sew and do their work here, and here 
the children play. It seems that this is the place 
where they have light and air. Along their streets 
at suitable distances are fountains, where they all 
obtain their supply of water near their houses. 
These fountains are adorned with statues. The 
bear — the heraldic emblem of Berne — is a con- 
stantly recurring object. Bruin appears equipped 
with shield, sword, banner, and helmet. 

Two gigantic bears keep guard over the pillars 
of the west gate. Others support a shield in the 
pediment of the corn-hall, which, till 1830, always 
contained a store of corn, in case of famine, beneath 
a spacious wine-cellar. A whole troop of bears go 
through a performance at the clock-to^ver. At 
11* 



250 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

three minutes before everj^ hour a cock gives the 
signal by clapping his wings and crowing ; one 
minute later the bears march around a seated figure, 
and a harlequin indicates the number of the hour 
by striking a bell. The cock then repeats his sig- 
nal when the hour strikes. The seated figure — an 
old man with a beard — turns an hour-glass, and 
counts the hour by raising his scepter and opening 
his mouth, while the bear on his right does the 
same by an inclination of his head. At the same 
time a stone figure in the tower strikes the bell with 
a hammer. The cock concludes the performance 
b}^ crowing the third time. This remarkable clock 
was built in 1191, and for nearly seven hundred 
years it has been attracting the attention of the 
people. We went twice to see it, and may go 
again. The ancient Egyptians had not a greater 
veneration for their Ibis than these people have for 
the bear, which would seem to be a tutelary deity, 
as well as a heraldic emblem of the Canton. Here 
Bruin has been supported, according to immemorial 
usage, at the expense of the public, who are pro- 
hibited from making him any other offering than 
bread or fruit. On the night of March 3, 1861, an 
English officer fell into one of the dens and was 
torn to pieces by the male bear, after a long and 
desperate struggle. 



Three thousand feet high — The illuminated falls at inter- 
lachen — Seas of ice — The Bernese Alps — Up among the 
coolnesses of Switzerland in August. 

Lucerne, August 7, 1873. 

We took the cars again, and came to Interlachen, 

situated between the mountains, which tower up in 

the clouds on either hand. Away in the distance 

are seen some whose summits are covered with 

snow. The sunset here was glorious. The 3^ellow 



The Glaciers. 251 

sunstine for some distance below, then the white 
snow in the shade, with the evergreens surrounding, 
was sublimelj^ beautifuL Here, for the first time, 
we see the glaciers. This is the third highest of 
the Swiss mountains, and is in full view of our 
hotel. This place may be said to combine tasteful 
quiet with magnificent scenery. 

Early in the morning we are off in carriages to 
see the glaciers. The road is between three and 
four hours' drive through a romantic country, set- 
tled by Swiss peasants. Leaving the carriages, we 
go on foot a mile and a half still farther up, a most 
fatiguing walk, to view the splendors of nature. A 
grotto is cut in the ice for some distance, inside of 
which two girls are playing on some queer instru- 
ment and singing. We pay our fifty centimes (ten 
cents) and go under the ice — above, below, all 
around, how far no one can tell. These grottoes 
are, many of them, eighteen or twent}^ miles long, 
and from one to two miles wide, and from one 
hundred to six hundred feet thick. The glaciers 
of Switzerland are supposed to form a sea of ice 
more than a thousand miles long. They melt at 
the bottom and sides and slide down slowly in a 
bod}^ The waters rush in torrents down the moun- 
tain sides in roaring' cataracts. The next winter 
the space is again filled with ice to go through the 
same process. This water forms lakes, where there 
is space enough to contain it, and runs ofi* by rivers 
between the mountains. This place is situated 
between Lakes Brienz and Thun. The water in 
the latter is said to be over two thousand feet deep. 

We take one of the steamers near Literlachen, and 
pass through the beautiful lake filling nearly all the 
space between the mountains and Griesbach. 

We walk up through a wilderness of evergreens, 
over a thousand feet, to the hotel to spend the night, 
and see the illuminated falls. As we pass up, an 



252 A Memphian's Teip to Europe. 

animated scene presents itself. A stream of con- 
siderable size comes tumbling, roaring down, you 
know not from where, but rushing on down the 
precipices to the lake. You see the noisj torrent 
by your side, winding its way in silvery foam 
through the verdant slopes, while far beyond are 
seen the majestic Bernese Alps, aspiring above the 
whole, and casting their shadows in the deep cal- 
dron. 

After supper these falls are illuminated. There 
are four falls. The impression made by these dif- 
ferent colors will never be erased from our minds. 
I cannot describe its transcendently beautiful appear- 
ance. The roar of these falls, and the bracing 
atmosphere of this three thousand feet elevation, 
gave us a refreshing night's repose. This place — 
formerly inaccessible — became known in 1818. It 
has now become one of the most delightful and 
popular resorts in Switzerland. The series of cas- 
cades — seven in number — falling from rock to rock, 
from a great height (1,148 feet), harmonize with the 
character of the scenery so as to enhance its at- 
tractions. 

We breakfast 5:15, and descend to the boat which 
takes us across the lake, where we take diligences 
to cross the Alps. Here an interesting scene occurs. 
Crowds of passengers to go, six to the smaller dili- 
gences, and perhaps double that number to the 
large ones. Tourists of many tongues, guides, por- 
ters, horses, drivers, all mingled in the utmost con- 
fusion. I go with, two young ladies from Oxford, 
Mississippi; one from Virginia, and Revs. Messrs. 
Witherspoon and Richardson. 

We ascend for miles a circuitous way, to look 
down on the place of our ascent, seemingly less 
than a mile below us. The mountains now appear 
in all their majesty, covered with snow, on the 
higher peaks of the summit, with dazzling whiteness. 



Grandeue of Alpine Scenery. 253 

The ascent becomes so steep that some of us walk 
for miles, taking nearer routes up the mountains. 

There have recently been some of those terrible 
avalanches of ice and snow. Along these mountain- 
slopes are hundreds of cottages, with small patches 
of garden and orchards. The descent is rapid, with 
locked wheels. 

We pass some fine Swiss houses near the lake, 
and a town of some size, with churches. The road 
is all smoothly paved with blue marble, beat up. 
Workmen are removins; the stones and earth brou2:ht 
down by the avalanches. This has been one of our 
most interesting days of travel. 

We take steamer at Lucerne, unsurpassed for the 
grandeur of its scenery. We arrived at this city in 
the afternoon. 



Top of the Alps — A view of three hundred miles from Rigi — 
One of Nature's grandest displays. 

Rigi, Top of the Alps, August 8, 1873. 
Here we are on the highest accessible point of 
these far-famed mountains. We took the steamer 
at Lucerne this morning, and went to the far end of 
the lake, passing a number of places of natural as 
well as historic interest. Of these I cannot now 
write, not even of the most remarkable railroad 
that brought us up these mountains. If there were 
inspiration to be had from one's position and sur- 
roundings, then certainly this place possesses more 
to inspire one than any place I have ever seen. 
This view far exceeds my expectations. I realize 
more fully than ever before what the Alps are — 
their extent and grandeur. It is estimated that 
three hundred miles may be taken in a view, on a 
clear day, from this summit. The mountains we 
had seen from the lake now.look like a plain. The 
houses in the towns look like toys. The cultivated 



254 A Mbmphian's Trip to Europe. 

ground seen in the distance, cut up in patches, looks 
like bed-quiits. The power of vision seems lost in 
the distance, or seen only in the most diminutive 
form. Thus it is as seen before us. But what can 
I say of that above and around us, as seen in the 
distance? There is no humbug in this upon which 
we now gaze almost in bewilderment. It is J^a- 
ture's grandest display of her most sublime magnifi- 
cence. ISTo words can convey to the mind a correct 
idea of what I behold spread out below, above, 
around, everywhere, from the position which I oc- 
cupy while I w^rite. The lakes below, as they are 
seen in their serpentine course between the mount- 
ains, look like a creek, and the mountains them- 
selves, with the little houses upon them, seem to be 
a valley. Every thing seen below is diminished. 
The towns and villages have dwindled into insig- 
nificance, and what we thought a very mountainous 
country looks like one of the most lovely, pictur- 
esque plains we ever saw. We seem to have as- 
cended into the heavens, and it is winter. The sur- 
rounding mountains are covered with snow, while 
the fleecy clouds hang below them in glorious 
grandeur, overwhelming us with the omnific power 
of ISTature's God, as seen around everywhere. 

This day winds up our sight-seeing in Switzer- 
land. We quit at the right place. Nothing else in 
this line could interest us. I shall leave this mount- 
ain filled with emotions of the commingling of all 
that is magnificently grand, combined with that 
which is most beautiful in nature. Even under the 
everlasting snow grow the lovely flowers, born to 
blush unseen, and shed their fragrance on this 
mountain air. Many varieties are collected and 
pressed in books, to be sold to visitors, who press 
by thousands to see the wonders of nature from 
this Rigi of the Alps. Two or three hundred more 
than can be accommodated at the hotels throng 



Switzerland and its People. 255 

there daily to see that which can only be witnessed 
by the aid of steam, applied by the most skillful 
engineering. 

We remain till near night to see the setting sun 
from this lofty eminence. Some of our party stay 
to see it rise. 



Eomantic Switzerland — Impressions of the most interesting 
country in Europe — An amusing dinner-table experience — 
The need of an interpreter — Sketch of Lucerne — William 
Tell — A mountain raihoad — Farewell, Switzerland. 

LucERXE, August 9, 1873. 

We return on the steamer to this place, xlfter 
nine o'clock to-day we leave this romantic Switzer- 
land for Paris. 

I will give my impressions in regard to the Swiss 
country and people. In some respects it is the most 
interesting country in Europe. It is about two hun- 
dred miles from east to west, by some one hundred 
and sixty or seventy miles. Two-thirds of the 
country are lofty mountain-chains, and valleys with 
lakes. The language of the people is a mixture of 
French, German, and Italian, or rather French- 
Swiss, German-Swiss, and Italian-Swiss. Having a 
conductor who understands all the languages of the 
people among whom we have traveled, we had but 
little difficulty. 

On our arrival at the top of the Rigi, nearly all 
of the party went directly to the hotel to get their 
dinner before they went out sight-seeing. I was 
much more intent on seeing than eating, and, hav- 
ing no baggage, I did not enter the hotel, but went 
from place to place for an hour or two, to see all 
that I could as soon as possible. The hotel is within 
a few steps of the highest point. After looking 
from there I went to the hotel, and found that some 
of our party had been sitting at the table, waiting 
for their dinner, ever since their arrival. 



256 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

Strategy, — I did not attempt to speak to the 
waiter, but wrote what I wanted, which he took to 
some one who understood English, and soon my 
wants were supplied. ISTot so with those who sat 
near me. Some of them, being teachers, seemed 
determined to make them understand what they 
wanted; but they failed to a great extent. We 
laughed long and immoderately^ This, no doubt, 
confused the waiters, and when they went after any 
thing, they seemed to forget to return to our end of 
the table. Yf hen they did get back, they brought 
that which was not ordered, and failed to bring that 
which the teachers thought t\\Qy had ordered, each 
one laughing at the other's mishaps. Finally, they 
ate such things as they could get. On to the "con- 
fectionery." JSText, the professor went and got some 
for his wife; but before the others got a chance to 
make signs that they wanted some of the same, she 
had eaten it up, and then they were out at sea again. 
The husband had left to seethe mountains; but his 
wife, enjoying this, remained to see the end of it. 
They jabbered away, and made signs for the con- 
fectionery, but it was not to be had. After all pa- 
tience was exhausted, and all had enjoyed the joke 
to the fullest extent but the waiters, they concluded 
to give it up and quit. But here comes another 
difficulty. Every thing here is upon the "European 
style." You pay for what you order. This seemed 
to be impossible. The waiters o<:>uld not under- 
stand a word, nor could the teachers understand 
them. A new source of amusement arose, which 
cannot be described. Their dinner-coupons were 
worth four francs (eighty cents); but they could not 
get, and had not eaten, the worth of their money, 
and the waiters could not give change for them. 
After much parleying, two would put their orders 
together, and one pay for both. One of the ladies 
said it took them longer to settle for than to eat 



Switzerland and its People. 25T 

their dinner, minus the confectionery, which coalcl 
not be obtained for k)ve, signs, speech, coupons, or 
money. Thus ended the most amusing dinner I 
have ever seen, and shovv^s the necessity of having a 
conductor in this country. 

I was going to speak of Switzerhmd, but was led 
off by the dinner mishaps until my sheet was fulL 
This is a remarkable country in many respects. It 
has been a republic longer, and has a freer govern- 
ment than any other country in Europe. Its popu- 
lation is only about 2,500,000. It is divided into 
many Cantons — about twenty, I think. It reminds 
me more of our country than any other on the Con- 
tinent. Their railroads are made like ours. You 
are not locked up in their carriages, as in other 
countries. At their hotels they are willing to set 
meat before you, and not limit your allowance at 
every meal, as in other countries. They have or- 
chards like ours, and flowers are seen in most of 
their w^indows, in pots. The vine grows luxuriantly 
in their valleys and on their hill-sides. Their cli- 
mate is cold in winter, but most delightful in sum- 
mer. Millions of money are spent among these 
people by seekers of health and pleasure. Their 
principal manufactures are of carved wood, watches, 
and music-boxes, in Avhich they excel the world. 

I have deviated a little from my plan of giving a 
running sketch of our trip. I must, therefore, go 
back to Lucerne, which is situated at the head of 
the lake of the same name. The "lion" of this 
place is cut out of a solid rock, twenty-eight by 
eighteen feet, and stands in a garden. It is com- 
memorative of the Swiss Guards, who may be said 
to have suffered in defense of the King of France, 
,at the be2:innino: of the French Kevolution. The 

• ••• 

spear is sticking in his side, and he is dying, yet 
seeking to protect the shield of France. Lucerne 
is the residence of the Papal Nuncio. It became 



258 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

independent in 1332, and joined the Swiss Confed- 
eracy. Its history dates from the eighth century. It 
was taken by the French in 1798, and was, for that 
time, the capital of the Helvetian Republic. 

On our way to Higi we passed several places of 
interest in the vicinity where William Tell per- 
formed his exploits. A chapel is built by the side 
of the lake, said to be on the spot where he shot 
the apple off his son's head. It is said to have been 
built thirty years after his death. 

There are four Cantons on the shores of this lake. 
One of these, with a population of but one thou- 
sand, has maintained its independence for four hun- 
dred years. In the town-hall is this inscription: 
''Received into the Confederacy, 1315. Purchased 
its freedom, 1390. It w^as taken by the French in 
1798." There is near this place what is called the 
"Devil's Bridge," seventy feet high. The whole 
scene around is one of savage grandeur. The rail- 
road by which we ascend to Rigi has a central iron 
rail, with cogs, into which runs a wheel, like a gin- 
wheel. It took over an hour to ascend the mount- 
ain. The railroad has only been in operation since 
May, 1871. Three trains are now kept bus}^ with 
the thousands of visitors visiting the place. 

We leave this mountain country with the most 
pleasant associations, feeling that we have been 
amply compensated for our week spent in the Re- 
public of Switzerland. 



Letters from Eev. T. W. Hooper. 

Geneva, July 19, 1873. 

The bells have chimed 6 a.m., and here I am, 

dressed and at my window, writing to you from the 

home of Calvin. But how can a man sleep with 

such scenery bursting: all around him ! From my 



Letters from Rev. T. W. Hooper. 259 

window I look down upon Lake Geneva, just across 
the street, and the rushing of whose waters, as they 
form the Rhone at this point, was the first sound 
that greeted me this morning. Just a few yards to 
the right of my window is the beautiful stone bridge 
that spans the river, with a foot-bridge extending to 
Rousseau's Island, now used as a beer-garden. 
Across the lake is the bod}^ of the quaint old town, 
with its turreted cathedral (no*^v used by the Pres- 
byterians of Scotland), while overlooking all is a 
range of magnificent mountains, over whose tower- 
ing crags we gaze in rapt wonder upon the ever- 
lasting snow of Mont Blanc. 

Could you write with such a scene as that to look 
upon, while under you is the continual rattle of 
Swiss market wagons, with fruits and vegetables, 
mingling with the escaping steam from the steamer 
Winkbried, whose smoke-stack is just under my 
window? But beautiful as it is to-day, it was still 
more so on yesterday, and especially at the "Chateau 
of Rothschild," to which we rode, and from whose 
beautiful park we had an almost unclouded view of 
Mont Blanc and the surrounding mountains of Savoy. 
ISTo wonder that Byron selected this lake for one of 
his scenes in " Childe Harold," for it must have set 
his poetical genius on fire by its placid beauty. 
Last night we sat long and gazed upon its waters, 
from whose smooth surface thousands of lamp- 
lights glittered, and while music floated in the balmy 
atmosphere, memories came trooping from the glo- 
rious past. 

It seems to me that John Calvin must have been 
a Calvinist, living in the substantial stone house 
which he occupied, and studying Romans and 
Ephesians in that straight-back arm-chair in which 
I sat on yesterday, and surrounded by those ever- 
lasting mountains. 

Oh! but how about the burning of Servetus? 



260 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

Well, I have seen the very spot where the poor fel- 
low was burned — but if your readers had seen as 
many places as I have where the 11th chapter of 
Hebrews was reenacted on Presbyterians, they 
would not think so strongly of poor old John 
Calvin's consent to the burning of one poor heretic. 
They must remember that our Baptist brethren had 
not yet come into existence to clamor for " soul 
liberty;" episcopacy had not even emerged from 
the thraldom of Rome, and the remnant of primi- 
tive Presbyterians were still " earnestly contending 
for the faith once delivered to the saints " in the 
valleys of Piedmont. 

But I must quit this moralizing— a small amount 
of which I trust is excusable in such a Calvinistic 
atmosphere as this. Apart from its associations 
and its beautiful scenery, there is nothing remarka- 
ble about this ancient town, unless you except its 
representation for watch-making and jewelry. Yes- 
terday we went all through one of the largest man- 
ufactories, and you may form some idea of its size, 
when I tell you that this one firm eraploj^s three 
hundred hands in the building, and keeps three 
thousand others constantly employed on job work 
outside. They sell their watches "in pieces," or 
completed, all over the world, and are famous as 
manufacturers wherever people are enough civilized 
to know the time of day by mechanism. 

But now, going back a little, I would say, we 
left the beautiful city of Paris Thursday night at 
8:40, and arrived here at 10:30 yesterday morning, 
having traveled over four hundred miles on a road 
as smooth as a bowling-alley, and the latter part 
abounding in striking and picturesque scenery. 

We also got quite a correct idea of peasant life 
as we drifted along among their " cottages," as 
tourists call them, but which we regarded as very 
indifferent negro cabins. The family seem to dwell 



Letters from Eev. T. W. Hooper. 261 

in one end and the horses and cattle in the other, 
while dogs and cats and goats lie around loose 
wherever it suits them. It was harvest-time, and 
we saw it in all its reality, without the poetry — 
men cutting wheat with a scythe or a hook, and 
w^omen, with short blue cotton dresses of scant pat- 
tern, and without stockings or pantalettes, picking 
it up and tying it into bundles. We also saw the 
first Indian corn growing that we have seen since 
we left America; and everywhere the universal 
Irish potato. The fact is, we have scarcely seen a 
farm or sat down to a table, since we landed at Mo- 
ville, without this famous vegetable ; and while we 
have eaten many strange mixtures which none of 
us could recognize, either by name or in reality, we 
are all acquainted and feel at home with this homely 
old vegetable, which seems to be regarded as a sort 
of sine qua non among the rich as well as among 
the poor. 

And now, I want to make one assertion which 
ma}^ strike some of your readers with surprise. I 
traveled j^esterday through some of the finest and 
most fertile valleys of France, but I saw no land as 
rich as the Roanoke Yalley, no scenery more beau- 
tiful than that around Liberty, and no farm-house 
as beautifully located or as pretty a private resi- 
dence as Mr. Langhorne's, at Shawsville. "Dis- 
tance lends enchantment to the view," and historic 
associations cast a halo of glorj^ around these scenes 
through which we have been passing; but dissipate 
this misty vail of the dim and hoary antiquity, and 
I will pick out a hundred more picturesque and 
more beautiful scenes among the mountains of Vir- 
ginia. Just here, my brother waked up, and I 
asked him what he thought of that last sentiment. 
"It is correct," said he; "for as I look out of that 
window I can easily imagine that I am looking 
down the Goose Creek Valley." 



262 A Mbmphian's Tkip to Europe. 

Shades of Rousseau, Calvin, Byron ! what a sen- 
timent, so near the spot where Servetus was burned ! 
The Peaks and Mont Blanc ! Savoy and Bedford ! 
the Rhone and Goose Creek ! Lake Geneva and Bu- 
ford's Mill-pond! How long would it take such 
a genius as his to develop into a second Byron, 
and produce another " Childe Harold," amid such 
scenery ? 

I think, after this, I '11 let scenery alone, and 
would respectfully refer all jonr readers to the 
ordinary guide-books for the fiction, and to Mark 
Twain for the reality. By the way, he had only 
one oracle in his party; but we have two, and they 
furnish us a constant source of amusement as well 
as disgust, and by some curious streak of fortune 
they are room-mates. Yesterday, as soon as we 
came in sight of Mont Jura, they commenced dis- 
cussing the point as to *' where Hannibal crossed 
the Alps," which some one stopped by asserting 
that Hannibal did n't cross the Alps at all. They 
both think they talk French ; and whenever we 
want fun, we get them to ask a Frenchman a ques- 
tion, and watch his countenance and the shrug of 
his shoulders, while they scream louder and louder, 
thinking that he must be deaf. 

"The marms" have somewhat subsided, under 
the influence of travel, and mixing with a people 
to whom, every time they speak, they show their 
ignorance. 'Not one of them speaks French, and 
only one pretends to ; but she prefers the English, 
and so do I. Really, I am tired out with this con- 
tinuous jargon, and shall be glad when I get back 
to England, and gladder still when I get back to 
Lynchburg. 

We leave by steamer this morning for Lausanne, 
Berne, Literlachen, etc. 



Letters from Eev. T. W. Hooper. 263 

Interlachen, July 21, 1873. 

I am afraid your readers will think I am getting 
almost too prolific in letters, as I wrote day before 
yesterday. But the fact is, that in my case, which 
is " early to bed," it is sure to result in ''early to 
rise," and at 'G.ye o'clock this morning I was awak- 
ened by the glorious sunlight, giving promise of 
another beautiful day in the Alps. This is not al- 
ways the case, and I have heard of parties having 
to wait for days without a glimpse of Mont Blanc 
or the Jungfrau ; while not a cloud obscured either, 
when we got near enough to see them. And now 
that I am up, and we are to make an early start for 
the glaciers, I have concluded to write to my various 
friends through you, as it saves time, which is pre- 
cious, and postage, which is high, though not as 
high here as in France. 

As this is Monday, and the time for our minis- 
terial conference, I shall give some account of the 
sermons which I heard on yesterday, after giving 
you a hasty sketch of my trip here. 

We left Geneva at half-past seven on a cup of 
coffee and cold bread, and glided up the Lake 
Leman, or Geneva, to a little place called Ouchy. 
As I was quietly gazing on the mountain-peaks that 
rose all around us, and the intervening valleys, 
green with the growing crops and dotted over with 
beautiful villas, I heard some one say, ''Brother 

T , this scenery is going back on Goose Creek." 

I felt that he had made reparation for the poetic 
slander of the morning ; and I, too, must confess 
that I had not fally reached the picturesque sublim- 
ity of the Alps when I compared it to Bedford ; 
but there is a most striking similarity in many of 
the scenes to those along the Virginia and Ten- 
nessee Railroad. 

At Ouchy, we got breakfast about twelve, in one 
of the grandest hotels I ever saw — large, airy, 



264 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. ' 

handsomely frescoed, and surrounded with a flower- 
garden and park that is worthy of a count, or a 
duke at least. 

Mounting the omnibus, we climbed a consider- 
able height around a macadamized road to the an- 
cient town of Lausanne, where Gibbon finished his 
"History of the Decline and Fall of Eome." Here 
we toolJ the train, and a little before five we landed 
at the quaint old town of Berne. In an incredibly 
short time Mr. Cook had us seated in "cabs," and 
whipped off to see the famous clock. We got there 
just in time to see the performance. True to the 
Guide-book, at three minutes before five a w^ooden 
rooster clapped his wings and crowed ; a minute 
later the bear turned his head, while the harlequin 
rang his bells, and the old man turned his hour- 
glass and opened his mouth just as the iron figure 
above raised his hammer and struck off five on the 
old bell in the tower. We then drove on to see the 
bears (kept at public expense), and then to the Par- 
liament House, where we visited the senate and 
representative chambers, both of which are repub- 
lican in their simplicity, and accord well with the 
grand Lutheran cathedral, which has all the sim- 
plicity of Eoman architecture, and shows that it 
was intended for real worship, not for mere Romish 
mummery. 

Keturning to the depot, we took another train, 
on special first-class cars, and about seven o'clock 
came to Lake Thun, where we again took steamer 
in the midst of the wildest Alpine scenery; and 
after ten minutes' ride on the cars again, we were 
safely deposited at the magnificent Hotel Victoria, 
the largest and finest of all the numerous hotels at 
this famous summer resort, where three thousand 
visitors congregate during the summer months. 
We are surrounded on all sides by giant mountain- 
peaks which seem to pierce the very heavens, while 



Letters from Rev. T. W. Hooper. 265 

the Young Virgin, or Jnngfrau, rises over thirteen 
thousand feet, just in front of us, and is covered 
with perpetual snow. With a glass, this snow gives 
us all the colors of the rainbow; while without it, 
the dazzling whiteness blinds us, and stands in 
striking contrast to all the green of lower peaks. 

Yesterday we were glad to recognize another 
Saixbatji, and to have a day of rest in this quiet, 
peaceful valley, instead of all the sights and sounds 
of some large city. At eleven o'clock we attended 
service at the Scotch chapel, where a minister of 
the true Church holds a service every Sunday dur- 
ing the summer months. It furnishes a rest to the 
minister and a chance to see the world, and at the 
same time furnishes the gospel to those who need 
it in their travels. The minister in this case is 
Rev. James T. Stuart, of Kelso, Scotland, and I 
never heard two more excellent, spiritual, evangel- 
ical sermons, while the Scotch accent gave me a 
peculiar relish and delight. 

At 11 A.M. he preached on " My beloved is mine, 
and I am his." It was the language of the Church, 
or the Christian, in regard to Christ, who has 
looked in at the lattice and is now gone to heaven. 
This language, he said, implied — 1. Mutual choice 
— Christ first chose us, and then we chose him. 
2. This choice was based on love — his love of pity 
and complacency and benefit — producing in us a 
love which has as its elements gratitude, delight, 
and desire to please and to serve him. 

At 4 P.M. I heard him again on " Trees of Right- 
eousness." He first quoted a list of names by which 
God, as a fond and loving father, calls his children, 
and then discussed the subject under two heads: 

1. The similitude between a Christian and a tree. 

2. How they both grow. Under the first head he 
brought out these'points : The tree must have a 
root : first, to sustain it ; and second, to supply it 

12 



266 A Memphian's Teip to Eueope. 

with nutriment. So the Christian has his root in 
Christ by faith, which both sustains and supplies 
him. Then, as the tree has a trunk and foliage and 
fruit, so the Christian has his spiritual life, leading 
to profession as foliage, and good works as the 
fruit. Under the second head he brought out these 
points: The tree and the Christian both grow — first, 
by expansion from within; secondly, by assimila- 
tion ; third, by circulation. He closed with a most 
excellent and fervent practical appeal to vital godli- 
ness. Your readers generally may not see the drift, 
but the preachers will see the heads of two capital 
sermons. I am sure that we all enjoyed it, after so 
much French and German jabber all around us. 

I used to tell my people, when I wanted to shame 
them into regular attendance at church, that I would 
like to send them out by detachments for six months 
into the country, when they would ride ten miles 
and hear a sermon once a month. But hereafter I 
shall wish to send them to France or German}^, 
where they will have fanciful singing, see the mass 
conducted by well-fed, sensual-looking old priests, 
and only hear the gospel occasionally from some 
Scotch or English minister. 

But I must close now, as I do not intend to close 
this, but shall w^ait for the Grindelwald Glacier. 



Lucerne, July 23, 1873. 

I intended to complete the above at Griesbach, 
but it was too late when the illumination of the 
falls was over, and too soon a start the next morn- 
ing when we started for this point. But now, as 
some of us are resting, while others have gone to 
the Rigi, I will finish it. 

We went by mistake to Lauterbrunnen, where 



Letters from Rev. T. W. Hooper. 267 

we saw the famous Saublack Fall. It is caused by 
a small stream running over a precipice one thou- 
sand feet high, and breaking into a complete mist 
before it strikes the rocks below. It is really one 
of the most wonderful and beautiful scenes that we 
have witnessed in this fairy-land of Switzerland. 

But, retracing our drive several miles, our car- 
riage, with its six passengers and driver, drawn by 
two horses urged by a hundred horse-flies each, 
slowly dragged its way up to the glaciers of Grin- 
delwald, while the beautiful white Wetterhoru stared 
us in the face, and k-ept us on the qui vive for 
avalanches. But while we heard them thundering 
around the mountains, we did not get a view of 
them, and had to content ourselves with sound and 
fury. 

We got a splendid view of the glaciers, and then 
came down the mountain at a fearful rate to Lake 
Brientz, where we took a steamer about ten miles 
to Griesbach, and spent the night. The hotel is 
on a cliff one thousand feet from the wharf, which 
we climbed around a graded walk, admiring the 
seven falls formed by a large stream leaping hun- 
dreds of feet from one rock to another, dashing the 
white foam in all directions, and sounding like one 
continuous roar of thunder. 

After an excellent supper, we w^alked down in 
front of the falls to Avitness the illumination, which 
takes place every night during the season. We 
saw the lanterns as they darted in and out among 
the trees like will-o'-the-wisps; and when the high- 
est fall was reached a rocket shot up, and this was 
answered by another at the bottom, and then as a 
third exploded it threw balls in the air, and the falls 
blazed out at once with lights of amazing brilliancy, 
that gave the trees and "the water the appearance 
of an "Arabian Night's Entertainment," and these 
lights suddenly changed to pink and green and yel- 



268 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

low, and then one by one went out, leaving the 
darkness darker by reason of the wondrous con- 
trast. 

The next morning several of us climbed up to 
the very top of the topmost rock, at imminent peril 
of life and limb, passed under one of the falls, and 
caught the dashing of the spray as we stood upon 
the narrow bridge that spanned those yawning 
chasms. - 

At ten o'clock we descended to the wharf, and 
at Brientz took private carriages provided by the 
thoughtful Mr. Cook, instead of lumbering dili- 
gences, as they are called, for the sake of contrast, 
I suppose. It was a weary, weary day of heat and 
dust and iiies — first for three hours up the Bruni 
Pass, and then at a brisk trot down again to Alp- 
nach, where we took, first, our long-lost letters from 
home, and then the steamer on this charming Lake 
Lucerne to this town of the same name. The 
scenery over the Bruni is grand, wild, and romantic 
beyond all conception. Beautiful valleys, dotted 
with cottages of the Swiss peasantry, and watered 
by dancing streams, lie basking in the sunlight; 
while bold and rugged mountains, some covered 
with verdure and some with snow, lift their giant 
heads above the clouds, and sparkle with hundreds 
of riverets that dash over their sides and scatter 
into spray, fulfilling those beautiful lines of Lord 
Byron, 

That left so late the mountam's brow, 
As though its waters ne'er would sever, 

But ere it reach the plain below 
Break into drops that part forever. 

By the way, we passed by the old castle said to 
be the scene of Byron's "Manfred," and also the 
castle of "Bluebeard." 

We have also had the pleasure of hearing a gen- 
uine Swiss horn, with its splendid echoes among 



Letter from Kev. A. B. Whipple. 269 

the mountain-peaks. It is about four feet long 
and about live inches in diameter at the muzzle, 
straight nearlj^ to the large end, where it makes a 
slight upward deflection. The old man who was 
blowing it had it resting on a kind of fulcrum, and 
blew as if he were certain of good pay. But th6re 
is only one of our party who carried a " sou," and 
while he paid, another tried to step it on the fan- 
tastic toe. ^"0 puns intended, except for the in- 
itiated. 

We had rare times coming up the mountain. 
One of the party was good on "dog-German," and 
his conversation with our driver, who only talked 
Dutch, was exceedingljfeamusing — especially the 
driver's. 



Letter from the Kev. A, B. Whipple, President of Lansing- 
burgh College, New York. 

Parts, August 11, 1873. 

Greetings once more to my friends from this side 
the Atlantic. My last letters have been local, or 
descriptive of one place only. This shall be a run- 
ning comment on things seen between Eome and 
this place. 

Leaving Rome July 30, at 11 o'clock a.m., we 
were soon outside the walls and passing the spot 
where St. Paul was executed, and the church in 
which they say is the very stone on which he was 
beheaded. Within the city we had visited the house 
where he dwelt, the prison in which he had been 
confined, and the house of his friend Clement, 
where he was permitted to preach. Of this house 
I may have more to say hereafter; for the present, 
suffice it to say, every place mentioned, and every 
place possessed of some sacred relic or legend, is 
invested with as much legendary history as the most 
devout will be willing to believe. Passing on, we 



270 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

follow up the valley of the "Yellow Tiber" — ren- 
dered so by the great amount of soil washed along 
with its rushing waters. Dry, doubly dry, is the 
country through which we pass — ho rain having 
fallen here since April. Every farm, however, seems 
to be supplied with a large tank of water brought 
from the mountains. Cattle are in groups near the 
water, as if in consultation about something to eat, 
as well as drink. Hardly a green thing is visible 
except weeds uneatable and trees unreachable by 
cattle. The cattle are all white, the tips of their 
noses, ears, horns, and the bush of their tails being 
black. They are of the wide-spreading horn spe- 
cies, and look quite unliloe our own. White, cer- 
tainly, is a desirable color in a country of such in- 
tense heat, if it be true that black draws the heat, 
or even retains it. On we go, until the blue waters 
of the Mediterranean greet our eyes. We watch it, 
and the vessels upon it, as for miles we speed along 
its shores. Nothing worthy of note till we reach 
Pisa, at ten o'clock at night, to eat supper out of 
doors, and uncomfortably warm at that. We slept 
as people do very warm nights. How the other 
49,999 slept I cannot affirm. This I do know: the 
other one was not ,any too much rested to start 
early in the morning to spend an hour or two in 
sight-seeing. The Piazza del Duomo, the Cathe- 
dral, the Baptistery, the Campo Santo, and the 
Leaning Tower, were all the places we could visit. 
A minute description I cannot now give. Of course, 
the Duomo is a church entirely of white marble, 
with black and colored ornamentation, with solid 
silver altar, and other things in keeping. What 
most interested me was the moderate swaying of 
the same bronze lamp, suspended from the lofty 
nave, that once suggested to Galileo the idea of a 
pendulum as time-keeper. The Baptistery — a beau- 
tiful circular structure, surrounded by half columns 



Letter from Eev. A. B. Whipple. 271 

below, and a gallery of small detached columns 
above, and sarmounted by a conical dome one hun- 
dred and seventy-nine feet high — was commenced 
in 1153. It htis a wonderful echoing gallery; and 
when one of the guides sang a few strains we could 
hear them reverberating around and above us, till 
all were ready to cheer through admiration. 

The Campanile, or clock- tower, as the Leaning 
Tower is called, begun in 1174, and finished in 1350, 
rises in eight different stories, and, like the Baptist- 
ery, is surrounded with half columns and colon- 
nades. It leans twelve feet out of perpendicular, 
and whether built so on purpose, or whether it has 
settled, is still a matter of discussion. It seems as 
if built so. Two hundred and ninety-four steps 
enable us to reach the top, and look down the lean- 
insf side with a feelins; that it is fiiUins:. A fine 
view of the country is seen from the top, the sea 
some six miles to the west. It contains six bells; 
the heaviest, weighing six tons, is on the side oppo- 
site the overhanging wall. 

The Campo Santo, or burial-ground, is in many 
ways remarkable for paintings, statuary, etc., but 
chiefly to me for fifty-three ship-loads of earth 
brought from Mount Calvary, and deposited here 
for a sacred burial-place^ so I have walked upon ' 
the soil of Mount Zion. 

Florence was the next place of interest; for from 
it have emanated, almost exclusively, the Italian 
language and literature. Here, also, the fine arts 
have attained the zenith of their glory. A vast 
profusion of treasures of art is here, such as is 
found in no other place within so narrow limits — 
rerniiiiscences of all Europe, imposing monuments, 
and the delightful environs of the city — altogether 
making Florence one of the most delightful places 
in the world. Besides wandering through vast and 
numerous halls of the fine arts, we also traversed 



272 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

the elegantly-furnished rooms in the palace of Vic- 
tor Emmanuel, and, while admiring the beauty and 
grandeur of the soldier-guarded palace, could not 
help thinking how the millions toil that a few may 
revel in luxury. 

Leaving Florence, we have twenty-seven hours' 
ride to Geneva, passing Turin, a city once destroyed 
by Hannibal, B.C. 218, now with a population of 
over one hundred and eighty thousand. Shortly 
after leaving this city we began the ascent of the 
Bernese Alps, winding through beautiful valleys, 
climbing up the sides of mountains amid grape- 
fields without number. Wilder and more pictur- 
esque the scenery becomes — cottages in seemingly 
inaccessible places on steep mountain-sides; red-tile 
covered hamlets far below us ; snow-covered mount- 
ain peaks far above us — and so for many an hour we 
W'Cnd our way upward through tunnels too frequent 
to count them, till finally we enter the famous Mont 
Cenis tunnel, seven miles through, requiring twenty- 
eight minutes in the passage. Then descending 
through like Alpine scenery, we reach at length the 
river Rhone, and then again begin our ascent, 
passing through ever-varying scenery, over rivers, 
under mountains, around lakes clear and beautiful 
in their deep valleys — still onward and upward, till, 
in the midst of a thunder-storm, at 10 p.m., we enter 
Geneva, glad to have something to eat and a bed. 
Saturday morning is clear, and we spend the day 
delighted with the place and its surroundings, in a 
most beautiful valley at the end of the lake, whose 
waters are pure as spring water. Around are lofty 
mountains as background to fine houses, while, 
forty miles away, concealed under a vail of clouds, 
we are told, lies or stands Mont Blanc, the monarch 
of mountains. All daj^ long, at intervals, I turned 
my eyes in that direction, hoping to see it. At length 
toward sunset the clouds lifted, and revealed the 



Letter from Hev. A. B. Whipple. 273 

coveted sight. Clear, cold, and lofty, stood his 
bared head leaning, as it were, against a clear, blue 
sky. As the sun sank lower and behind lesser 
mountains, the snowy peak of Mont Blanc caught 
his setting rays and sent them back to us in golden 
colors. Higher and higher climbed the sunless 
shade, till on the summit rested, as it were, the 
golden crown of setting day ; then, as its last color 
left his royal head, the silver moon appeared from 
behind, caught the last tinge, and with serene maj- 
esty bore it aloft into the mid-heavens. So ended 
the week. 

Sunday morning found me, at half-past eight 
o'clock, w^ending my way to hear the famous Pere 
Hyacinthe preach, and at eleven o'clock I was in the 
American Chapel to hear once more a sermon in 
plain English. 

Monday morning we steamed across the beautiful 
Lake of Geneva, past the palace of Baron Roths- 
child, past the prison-castle of Chillon, and on amid 
enchanting scenery to Lausanne; then took cars, 
and about 5 p.m. arrived at Berne, the capital of 
Switzerland. Berne means hear^ which seems to 
have been the deity of the Swiss in ancient times. 
Bears take the place of men and lions as statuary. 
Churches are adorned with them, houses and tem- 
ples ornamented with them, and even a den of live 
ones is kept at the city's expense. Here, also, is a 
famous clock, in a tower built between 1100 and 
1200. When about to strike the hour, a cock flaps 
his w^ngs and crows (pretty well for a cock seven 
hundred years old). Then a procession of bears, on 
foot and horseback, march out around, and back 
again. Next, old Father Time, seated above, turns 
his hour-glass and waves his scepter; then a man 
above strikes the hour; a bear one side of him turns 
his head and listens to each blow; then, away up in 
the belfry, an iron man rings out the hour for the 

i2* 



274 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

city; t"he cock once more flaps his wings and erows, 
and for an hour the show is ended. 

A few hours more, and we are at Interlachen, 
the Saratoga of Switzerland. Hotels, rather than 
churches, are the objects of attraction — sumptuous 
within, and beautiful without, and around a small 
rich valle}^, surrounded by very lofty mountains, be- 
-tween two of which, in the background, rises white 
and cold, the Jungfrau, next to Mont Blanc, the 
mountain- wonder of Europe. The sun gilds it in 
his setting, and the moon silvers it in her rising, 
and we drink in the grandeur of the scene. 

Next morning at 7 sharp, we took carriages to 
Grindelwald, fifteen miles away, with two added on 
foot, to see, and feel, and enter a live glacier. We 
have seen the frozen river of ice, entered its grotto, 
seen its wearing action on the rocks beside and be- 
neath; and now, according to traveling custom, are 
entitled to wear white scarfs. on our hats — said to be 
a sign of having seen a glacier. Kone of the "Ed- 
ucated Tourists," as our partjMS now called, has-yet 
put on the white scarf. We enjoy mountain scenery 
and Swiss cottages all the way, as well as snow- 
peaks and glaciers. 

At 5 P.M. we cross Lake Brientz to Griesbach, and 
in the most cosy and elevated dell spent the night. 
Beautiful for situation is the hotel and all its sur- 
roundings of high mountains, and the lake, eight 
hundred feet below us. Chief among the attrac- 
tions is a fine cascade cohiing over the rocks fifteen 
hundred feet above us, and in seven successive leaps 
reaching the lake below us, and in very nearly a 
straight line. At half-past nine we were summoned 
by a bell to seats directly in front of the cascade. 
Torches were seen winding among the dark spruce 
evergreens bordering the stream up above us and 
down below us. Presently a rocket from the upper- 
most part shot out into the sky; soon it was an- 



Letter from Eev. A. B. Whipple. 275 

swered by one at our feet, and instantly, from lake 
to crest, Roman candles flashed on the foaming 
waters and from the caverns behind, illuminating 
the whole surroundings ; anon red lights intervened, 
then white. The uppermost cavern gleamed like a 
burning volcano; the midmost one, lighted back of 
the water, was brilliantly beautiful, while the lurid 
glare from the deep gulf below us was suggestive 
of a burning lower world. I^ot the water only, but 
the trunks and branches of the bordering and over- 
hanging trees, lit up by the strong and mingled red, 
green, and white Bengal lights, presented a combi- 
nation of natural and artificial beauty seldom wit- 
nessed by pleasure-seekers. 

l^ext morning we crossed the lake again, and took 
diligences over the Alps by what is known as the 
Bruni Pass, going thus from the valley of the 
Rhone into the vallej^ of the Rhine. 

Crossing Lake Lucerne, we enter a city of the 
same name, pleased with the wild mountain ride, 
and made tired by the same. N'ext day we spend 
upon the lake — the most beautiful and historic in 
Switzerland — the Lake of the Four Cantons. 
Among other places, the Tell Platz may most in- 
terest my readers, being th^ place where William 
Tell sprang from the boat, pushing his jailers back 
into the stormy waters, and escaping up the mount- 
ains. The event of the day was the ascent of 
Mount Rigi in cars, five thousand feet — an average 
ascent of one foot in four all the way. From the 
top we can see more than a hundred snow-capped 
mountain-peaks, seven beautiful lakes, and viUages 
and valleys of rarest beauty. 

Again we bid adieu to scenes of loveliness, de- 
scend the Rigi, and steam it across the moonlit lake 
to Lucerne. Another morning finds us gazing at a 
huge monument cut in the side of a mountain. It 
is known in history as the Lion of Lucerne — cut in 



276 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

the rock as a memorial symbol of many brave men 
who died in defending the liberty of the Swiss. It 
represents a dying lion with bis forefoot on the 
shield of the enemy, with a broken spear in his 
side, indicating the cause of his death. There is 
both pain and pleasure in his dying looks. The 
whole is cut in relief in a perpendicular face of 
sandstone rock. It is twenty-eight feet in length, 
and every, way well proportioned. Beneath is a 
little lake, or pond, around which is kept a beauti- 
ful garden, amid many shade-producing trees. This 
is our ante-breakfast trip ; for, after eating, we leave 
for Basle, at which place we stop and eat again. 

There is nothing remarkable about this place, 
save a former curious custom, for hundreds of years, 
of keeping their clocks all one hour in advance of 
the true time. Various reasons have been given for 
this custom, one of which is that the people were so 
slow in all things that it was needful to keep the 
time ahead; another is that the town was once 
saved from capture by their enemies by the clock 
striking one instead of twelve. Twelve was the 
signal agreed upon by the enemy; but, hearing the 
clock strike one, thought themselves belated, and 
the citizens on the watch for them, and so retreated. 
Still another reason is, that once the clock in the 
tower was struck by lightning, and set forward an 
hour, and the superstitious people long afterward 
refused to have it changed, and so kept their time 
by it. Be this as it may, for the last sixty years the 
clocks keep the proper time. The place is on the 
river Rhine, and the last of our Switzerland cities. 

A few moments' ride brings us into France, on 
the border of which we stop to have our luggage 
examined by polite French officials, after which we 
speed our v/ay some three hundred and twenty 
miles through the domain of France, some fifty 
miles of the distance being through that portion 



Letter from Eev. A. B. Whipple. 277 

lately taken from France and added to Germany. 
Night comes down upon us, and our view of the 
country along to Paris is mostly b\' moonlight. 

By seven o'clock Sunday morning we are in 
nearly the center of Paris city — hungry, of course, 
having had nothing to eat since four o'clock on Sat- 
urday. Our first day here, then, is Sunday, and we 
see shops open as on any other da}^ We walk 
along the Boulevards in the afternoon and evening 
to see the gay turn-outs of pleasure-seekers — to' see 
Punch and Judy shows at every turn. Circuses, 
shows, and concerts have many visitors; all is ga}^- 
ety, and one would not have reason to think it was 
the Lord's-day. A city of two million people can- 
not be seen in a day; so we shall tarry here nearly 
a week, and then, perhaps^ material enough for a 
letter may be gathered, and a whole letter from 
Paris greet your many readers. Meanwhile, be pa- 
tient, if a week goes by without a letter. There is 
an old proverb, "A patient waiter is no loser." 



278 A Mbmphian's Trip to Europe. 



CHAPTER XV. 

" Paris is France." — Views on the wicked, beautiful city — 
Strolls in historic localities, some of which have been bap- 
tized in blood of saint and sinner. 

Paris, August 12, 1873. 

My last left me finisHng up Switzerland at Lu- 
cerne. Leaving there at ten o'clock, we passed 
through a beautiful country to Basle. This is one 
of the finest cities in Switzerland. The buildings 
are of a more modern style. The greater part of 
the city is on the left bank of the Rhine. Our 
hotel being on the river, we had to pass through 
the best portion of it from the depot. Owing to 
its situation at the junction of the frontiers of 
France, Germany, and Switzerland, it maintains 
its position as a place of great commercial activity. 
The cathedral — a monster — is the chief attraction 
of the place for tourists. It is built of red sand- 
stone. The older portion dates from 1010, and is 
of the Byzantine order; but in 1356 a considerable 
part was destroyed by an earthquake, and it was 
rebuilt in Gothic style. Among the relics of the 
ancient structure are the statues of Christ and St. 
Peter, and the wise and foolish virgins. Great 
Roman antiquities have been found in this vicinity. 
It has a population of forty-five thousand. We 
spent only a few hours here, after partaking of a 
good dinner at a fine hotel on the margin of the 
river. 



PARIS. 279 

Leaving Basle at five o'clock, we soon enter what 
was the territory of France. The late unfortunate 
war with Prussia took this country from her do- 
minion. ^ It was one of the best and richest depart- 
ments. We had several hours of daylight, and our 
train, running some forty miles per hour, gave us a 
good opportunity to see France. • There are but few 
line houses, only in the cities. The land here, as 
almost everywhere we have been, is cut up in small 
patches, and cultivated by those who live in the 
adjacent villages. 

The full moon shines brightly, and we sit up to 
look at this remarkable country, and the places 
which have witnessed so many changes. Sunday 
morning opens upon us some five or six miles from 
this city. The first persons we see are the reapers 
of wheat, now being harvested. No Sabbath is 
recognized in town or country, only as a holiday, 
while many pursue their daily avocations as usual. 

Paris is seen in the distance. All are anxious to 
get a view of this great city as we approach its en- 
virons. At the depot we learn that the hotels are 
full and we must be divided, as rooms cannot be 
obtained for so large a party at either of those as- 
signed us. I have comfortable quarters at the St. 
Petersburg, with about half our party. 

After arranging some things, we are ofi* to the 
Scotch Presbyterian Church, near the Tuileries. 
Some thirty-five persons only are present. As we 
were near the place about which I have read and 
heard so much, it was the place I most desired to 
see. What a mass of ruins is here ! At one end 
all was burnt that could be consumed. The new 
buildings, extending to the magnificent passage in 
front of the bridge of St. Peter's, were injured but 
little. The rooting of the apartments of the ex- 
Prince Imperial only was damaged. The sculpture, 
statues, groups, and ornaments of these magnificent 



280 A Memphian's Teip to Europe. 

buildings have not been injured. We passed through 
the former, went across the bridge, and remained 
for some two hours viewing the most extensive 
building I ever saw. After dinner we visited a 
large church in which people were worshiping, and 
from the front of which there rushed streams of 
water. 

Paris is the best-planned city we have seen. The 
extensive boulevards running around and through 
the city, beautifully shaded, and leading to the focal 
points, make it easy to comprehend. They run one 
into another in such a manner that you need not 
miss your way through the city. It seems to have 
been arranged for military defense better than any 
I have ever seen. It has had more occasion to use 
those streets for that purpose than any in modern 
times. No place in the world can boast of such 
thoroughfares as Paris. It is greatly indebted to 
Louis S"apoleon for its magnificent boulevards. 

Monday morning w^e take a large open carriage, 
containing twenty-four persons, and spend the day 
with a guide. The first object of interest is the 
church La Madeleine, begun by Louis XIY., con- 
tinued by Napoleon, who intended it as a temple. 
After the restoration it was finished as a church. 
It is a beautiful structure, raised on an immense 
platform three hundred and eighty- eight feet in 
length by one hundred and thirty feet. Forty-eight 
Corinthian columns fifty feet high surround it, hav- 
ing the shape and style of a Grecian temple. It is 
one of the finest edifices in Europe. As it is near 
our hotel, I have visited it again and heard its 
organ. 

We next view the Tuileries, and the immense 
space where the Exchequer w^as burned by the 
Commune; then the gardens, statues, and fount- 
ains; then the triumphal arch of Louis Philippe 
and the triumphal arch of St. Martin ; the new 



!N"oTRE Dame. 281 

theater of 1871, the old Bastile of 1798, the prison 
of 1830, and the column of Charles X., over the 
canal, running six miles; this the Commune en- 
deavored to blow up bj a boat running under it, 
but it exploded too soon. Here wq see cannon-shot 
all around, and here the last of the Commune were 
shot themselves. Here immense quantities of goods 
were burned by the Commune. Here is the vicinity 
of the insurrections of Paris, and on this immense 
column are put inscriptions commemorative of the 
three days of fighting in 1830. Mercury crowns 
the column, and an inscription, "To the glory of 
the citizens who fought for liberty," in memory of 
the revolution of 1830. 

We then go to the famous prison where the arch- 
bishop and nine others suffered by the guillotine. 
It is the place where executions now take place. It 
is famous for having been where the royal and 
ecclesiastical blood has been shed freely. 

We also visit the Zoological Gardens, which are 
very extensive. Every plant, flower, and shrub in 
the world is said to be here. The animals were 
eaten during the war, but have been replaced by 
others. They excel those of London. 

We spent some time viewing J^otre Dame, a 
church commenced in 522 — the most ancient church 
in Paris. ITapoleon and Josephine were crowned 
in it. The Archbishop of Paris was killed at the 
foot of the column, in 1848, while attempting to 
pacif}^ the tumult. It is in the form of a Latin 
cross, with three naves and twenty-four chapels. 
The cushion on which the crown was deposited 
when Kapoleon was crowned, a solid gold cross, 
and two Russian banners, are among the sacred 
relics that adorn the church. 

E'ear this church is the place where those people 
who are drowned, or are found dead, are kept until 
recognized. It was solemn to see it. Our guide 



282 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

would not go, but told us to do so if we desired, 
while he waited for us. 

Our visit to the cemetery was full of interest. 
Many names with which we were famiUar are seen 
here — in the department of literature, science, and 
war. I took the names of many, but have not time 
to transcribe or comment upon them. lN"apoleon's 
marshals sleep here. I plucked a flower and an 
evergreen from Marshal [N'ey's grave. As I looked 
at these marshals' graves, I could but reflect upon 
the vanity of earthly glory. This is a great city of 
the dead, some four or five miles in extent. 

Napoleon's Tomb. — "We go to Napoleon the First's 
tomb, at the Chapel of the Invalides. This I de- 
sired to see above all others. A tower crypt occu- 
pies the center of the dome, and in the middle 
stands the sarcophagus containing the emperor's 
remains. The circumference forms an open gallery, 
the pillars of which are decorated with embossed 
figures bearing palms, and bearing the symbols of 
the emperor's victories. The second part of the 
monument is an altar raised on a basement oppo- 
site the dome. It is adorned with four columns 
surmounted with a rich canopy. This work, in- 
cluding the columns, is of black marble from Egypt. 
The third part of the monument is a chapel, con- 
structed under the ground of the dome — a veritable 
subterranean crypt, lighted with a lamp on a slab 
of black marble. These immortal words of the 
emperor are traced in his testament : " I desire that 
my ashes may rest on the banks of the Seine, 
among the French nation I loved so much." The 
sarcophagus measures four yards in length, two in 
breadth, and four in height, and is formed of four 
blocks of Fontainebleau quartz of antiquity, which 
is inestimable. It required a steam-engine to polish 
it. The last chest, which has received the cedar and 
leaden coflin brought from St. Helena, is of a ma- 



Tomb of ]N"apoleon I. 283 

terial called algila, coming from Corsica. On the 
7th day of May, 1861, the mortal remains of this 
most remarkable man were brought from their rest- 
ing-place and deposited here, in presence of the 
dignitaries of State. It was on the 12th of May, 
1840, that the Chamber of Deputies determined to 
remove them from St. Helena. For twenty years 
they were deposited in St. Jerome Church of the 
Invalides Hotel, and now finallj^ rest in a manner 
no monarch ever did. It is the most gorgeous 
monument I ever saw. The dome of the church, 
covered with gold, shines out from every point 
where you can see the city. The opened part of 
the crypt is lighted by twelve bronze lamps, the 
models taken from Pompeii. The succession of 
basso-relievos is of black marble, and is called the 
Sword -room. It contains various relics, and the 
banners taken from the different nations which he 
conquered- — the golden crown voted by Cherbourg, 
and sixty banners, coming from the victories he 
achieved over his enemies. The monument has 
cost three millions. Crowds go to see it daily. We 
met a great many — or rather, saw them — as they 
passed out at another gate. These people glory in 
the name of I^apoleon. 

We ascend the triumphal arch erected in honor 
of his many victories. There are twelve avenues 
meeting here. From the top of this arch we have the 
finest view of the city and its surroundings I have 
seen. For miles far away in every direction you 
can see down these avenues the most magnificent 
buildings, the finest parks, gardens, statues, fount- 
ains — in fact, every thing of grandeur and magnifi- 
cence that the imagination can well picture, to make 
the most beautiful city in the world. 

I now realize more fully than ever the expression 
that "Paris is France." The French glory in their 
splendor and gayety. In this city they have much 



284 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

to stimulate their national pride, much of ancient 
art and modern improvement in science. 

They must have amusements, and they have them 
to a greater extent than aiiy other people of whom 
I have any knowledge. To walk out of an evening 
on any of their boulevards, especially about their 
gardens, one will see more of some things than in 
any other place I have ever been. There are many 
places where they have concerts of various kinds 
in open air. We were passing one of these last 
night, and we stopped awhile and saw quite a vari- 
ety of things, as well as heard some very line music, 
vocal as well as instrumental. The French feel 
deeply their present humiliation, at times. We see 
them in national mourning for their misfortunes. 
A young lady, dressed in mourning, came out and 
sang one of their national airs, which moved the 
crowd to such an extent that, though I did not un- 
derstand a word she said, yet I found the unbidden 
tear stealing from my eyes in sympathy for them. 

France will yet recover her lost glory, and, when- 
ever the time comes, will show that there are re- 
cuperative energies within her that can and will 
restore her to the position she has occupied among 
the nations of earth. 

I did not intend expressing opinions, but merely 
to give a running sketch of what I have seen as I 
pass hurriedly through the cities and countries of 
Europe. 



Lingering in Paris — Sight-seeing in the finest city in the 
world — Versailles and its antique remains of royalty — 
The Tuileries — Pantheon — St. Cloud — Gobelin. 

Paris, August 14, 1873. 

Our third day was spent in Versailles, some 
twelve miles from Paris. This was formerly the 



The Grand Trianon. 285 

second town of France, having 100,000 people, 
mostly nobility and gentry. The splendor of this 
city under Louis XIV., who had Mansard to build 
him the palace and lay out the parks and gardens 
at an average cost of forty million pounds sterling, 
ceased with the unfortunate Louis XVL, for Paris. 
Louis Philippe had it devoted to a musei^m for the 
glories of the illustrations of France. The palace 
is divided into three great divisions. "We went 
through some of these once famous buildings, 
which are filled with the most wonderful collection 
of paintings, relating to. the history of France. The 
chapel is one of the finest we have seen. The ceil- 
ing is eighty-six feet high, with magnificent frescoes 
and a mosaic pavement of great beauty. 

The Grand Trianon is a small palace four hun- 
dred feet long, built by order -of Louis XIY. in 
1683, in the grounds of the park. It was the 
favorite residence of N'apoleon L, and is the usual 
residence of Queen Victoria when in Paris. Here 
are to be seen many of the relics of the former 
monarchs of France, showing what royalty was in 
the days of her glory. 

President MacMahon and the Assembly are now 
in session here, but we could not even look in upon 
them. Soldiers are seen drilling, cannon are point- 
ing out, and the surroundings seem warlike. 

The gardens are the most extensive and magnifi- 
cent I have seen. Sixty miles of ground are occu- 
pied by them and the parks. There are eighty 
fountains, some of them the largest ever made. 
These play only on Sundays — others only once a 
month, and the whole of them only ouce a year. 
Tlie gardens are kept in fine order, but the hundreds 
of groups of statuary around them are neglected, 
and moss is growing on them. We felt " like one 
who treads alone some banquet-hall deserted," 
whenever we went over these antique remains of 



286 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

royalty, yet they are grand in their loneliness. The 
orangery, which was planted as far back as 1421, is 
artistically arranged in large inclosures, so as to 
move them in the houses during winter. 

We return to the city by the tramway railroad, 
which is a large two-story omnibus running within 
an iron railing. On the top of this we had a fine 
view of the country along the Seine. It is densely 
populated, and a good part of the way is a village. 

We pass St. Cloud. It is a pretty little town, 
celebrated for its palace, which was destroyed during 
the war. It was the favorite resort of Napoleon I., 
and has a park ten miles in circumference. As we 
pass the gate into the city, a halt is made, to see if 
there is any thing contraband among us. This is a 
fine boirievard for miles, extending into the city. 

The Siege and Bombardment. — Yesterday morning 
we went to see the panorama of the siege and bom- 
bardment of Paris. This is the most astonishing 
thing we have seen. You go into a large building, 
ascend a winding staircase, and come out on top of 
what seems to be a hill overlooking the city, where 
the battle is raging. You see no painting, no 
moving of scenes, but the heavens above, with the 
clouds obscured by the smoke. Around you is the 
fort the French are defending. Some of the build- 
ings near are in flames, and appear as natural as if 
real. The artillery playing upon the Prussians, 
belching out flames and smoke. The dead and 
wounded spread out before you as real (seemingly) 
as if you were in a few steps of them. The Prus- 
sian camps are seen in the distance. Other forts, 
also, are attacked. Other buildings are on fire. 
The fort where you are is in ruins, as perfectly nat- 
ural as if really before you. Yet you see no paint- 
ing anywhere, but all is open, as if you were lo )king 
on the strife all around 3^ou. The city is seen about 
as it looks from other directions. We are bewij- 



The Tuilertes. 287 

dered — overwhelmed witli amazement. Can this be 
artificial? It is the triumph of art — a delusion 
such as we have never expected to see. The earth, 
we know, is real, the broken shells around us are 
real — and yet the others near it are not. One of 
the banks of sand-bags was said to be real, but the 
others seemed as natural as it did. Some one threw 
a penny near the cannon, and we heard it strike the 
rock and saw it afterward. This settled the ques- 
tion of there being some things that were not illu- 
sions, but the whole scene far surpasses any thing 
we have seen in this line. Every one who visits 
Paris to see should see this. 

We go to the Palace of Industry, built in 1854, 
for the Universal Exhibition. Here are paintings 
and statues of men eminent in art and science. 

We have passed the Palace of the Tuileries sev- 
eral times — a terrible mass of ruins, but now being 
rebuilt. In front is a noble arch of ]N"apoleon, 
erected in 1806. Here we see a chariot drawn by 
four horses, copied from those of St. Mark's, at 
Venice, to which I have referred. Here is a palace 
constructed by Julian the Apostate, or by his ances- 
tor Constantius, toward the close of the fourth cen- 
tury. 

We spent some time in the Pantheon. Louis 
XV. laid the foundation in 1764. The Assembly 
(in 1790) converted it into a temple to receive the 
ashes of the great men of the country. In 1822 it 
was restored to a church, to become in 1830 a secu- 
lar institution, and in 1848 the scene of desperate 
combat between the insurgents and the troops. It 
is three hundred and two by two hundred and fifty 
feet, its summit being four hundred and fifty feet 
high. In the vaults are the tombs of Voltaire, 
Pousseau, and several of N^apoleon's best officers. 

Gobelin Tapestry. — Tapestry work is done in Paris 
as at no other place. Some two hundred years since 



288 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

it was invented by a Frenchman named Gobelin. 
The emperor bought the right, and named the estab- 
lishment after him. Our guide had permission from 
the authorities to take persons in to see the manu- 
facture of it. We were taken through the rooms 
where the most exquisite work was being per- 
formed. There were carpets requiring ten men 
twenty years to make, and paintings copied so as to 
be exactly like the originals. These works are 
never sold from this establishment, as they are used 
only for royalty, or presented to such. 

We visited a number of churches and other places 
of which I cannot now say any thing. I thought 
Paris needed street railways, but when I went on 
the steamboats of the Seine, passing swiftly by and 
stopping at convenient distances, circling through 
the city, and the many lines of omnibuses, running 
all around and through the city — sixteen miles for 
ten cents — I see they have locomotive facilities as 
cheap as any city I have seen. I took those trips 
to-day by river several miles, and around the city, 
at a cost of less than twenty cents. The railroad 
runs sometimes above the houses, giving a fine view 
of the city from several points of observation. I 
think there are twenty-six stations in the circle. 
When it is above the houses, there are five large 
stone columns across the road, on which the double- 
track road is built. Under it is a fine arcade, which 
can be used for various purposes. 

Upon the whole, I consider Paris the finest city I 
have ever seen. Nature has done much for the loca- 
tion, and countless millions have been spent to 
beautify and adorn it. The Academy of Music, 
near where I am writing to-night, is said to be the 
finest building in Europe. It is rapidly recovering 
from the devastations of the war, and, if MacMahon 
proves successful in his government, will soon regain 
its former prosperity. The motto, "Liberty, equal- 



Paris — Its Points of Interest. 289 

ity, fraternity," is seen all over the city on the public 
buildings and many other places. 

The position of Paris is very much the same as 
that of London. The Seine, over which are built 
twenty-live bridges, divides it in the same manner 
that the Thames divides London. The form of 
Paris is nearly circular. It is entirely surrounded 
by a fortified wall, at the different gates of which 
the customs are collected. It has twelve palaces, 
forty Poman Catholic churches, sixteen Protest- 
ant churches, one hundred ornamental fountains, 
thirty-eight markets, and twenty hospitals. Its 
population is about two millions, one-third having 
been added in the last twenty years. 

For those whose inclination leads them to fashion, 
amusement, music, and gayety, Paris affords more 
facility than any other city. The citizens are intel- 
ligent, polite, affable, and partial to Americans, 
who were under many obligations to France for 
assistance in the time of her greatest need. I gazed 
on the portrait of the noble La Fayette the other day 
with much interest. Well do I remember seeing 
him when he visited our country in 1824, when he 
was welcomed everywhere as the friend of liberty. 
He stands prominent in a large painting of the 
surrender of Yorktown. 

We leave here in the morning for London. I 
may say something more of Paris before I close 
these sketches, for much ma}^ be truthfully said of 
this city without exhausting the subject. 

This is not only the gayest and most fashionable, 
but the most-beautiful city in the world. The hotels, 
I think, are not so good as in some other European 
cities. Furnished apartments are said to be much 
cheaper than the hotels. 

One of the most interesting monuments in the 
city is the triumphal arch dedicated by Napoleon I. 
to the glory of the French armies. It was com- 
13 



290 A Memphian's Trip to Eukope. 

menced on the 15tli of August (which, I think, is 
his birthday), 1806. The work was interrupted in 
1814, bnt was continued in 1833, but not completed 
till 1836. Twelve wide boulevards terminate at it, 
as a focal point. We ascended to the summit, where 
we had the best view of this magnificent city we 
could have. It is delightfully grand in every direc- 
tion. 

The Egyptian obelisk, given by the viceroy Me- 
hemet All, and taken from the ruins of Thebes, is, 
perhaps, the oldest thing of the kind of which we 
have any knowledge. It once ornamented the en- 
trance of a palace constructed by Rameses 11. (six- 
teen centuries before Christ). It was brought to 
Paris in October, 1836. 

The most frequented and deeply-interesting place 
in Paris is the garden of the Tuileries, containing 
about seventy acres. Here congregate tens of thou- 
sands nightly, to hear the music and witness the 
performance of many things that interest this fun- 
loving people. All that money, taste, and genius 
can do seems to have been done to render these 
places attractive to all classes who visit them. 

Foremost among the churches of Paris is ]N'otre 
Dame. This cathedral was commenced in 522 ; was 
continued, on a much larger scale, to 1160. It is 
the most ancient church in Paris. In the revolu- 
tion of 1789 it was made a wine-store, and after- 
w^ard a hay-loft. In 1802, when Kapoleon ratified 
the concordat with the pope, it was reestablished as 
a church. It was in this church that IS'apoleon and 
Josephine were crowned by Pope Pius YIL, in 
1804. The Italians are not the only people who 
have fabulous stories about relics. In this church a 
piece of the real cross and crown of thorns are to 
be seen, having been brought by St. Louis from 
Palestine. They were first placed in the Sainte 
Chapelle, built for that purpose in 1825, and after- 



Cathedral of Notre Dame. 291 

ward moved to the cathedral for greater safety. The 
time for such stuff, I think, is rapidly passing away, 
never more to return among intelligent people ; but 
as I am simply giving a sketch of things as they 
are, this is one of the many ways by which the ig- 
norant masses have been blindly deluded to attach 
importance to the possession of relics. The interior 
of the cathedral is of the greatest magnificence. 
The vaulted roof, the three naves, the twenty-four 
chapels, the high altar, the paintings, the massive 
pillars and columns, each a single block, will excite 
the admiration of every beholder of taste. It is in 
this choir that most of the kings and queens, their 
sons and daughters, have been baptized, married, 
and crowned. In the sacristy are to be seen the 
coronation mantle of IN'apoleon I., and the cushion 
on which the crown was deposited during the cere- 
m.ony of their coronation ; also, a solid gold cross, 
presented by IlTapoleon on that occasion ; two Rus- 
sian banners, taken in the Crimea ; and a silver vir- 
gin, presented by Charles X. This magnificent 
church was condemned by the Commune, but was 
saved by the students of the Hospital, with the as- 
sistance of the inhabitants of the island of the city, 
in the center of which the cathedral stands. Six 
hundred Communists took possession of it on Good 
Friday, 1871, at three o'clock in the evening, while 
the preacher was in the pulpit. Fortunately, the 
troops of Versailles arrived just in time to prevent 
its destruction. It was set on fire the night the 
troops were entering Paris. 

The Pantheon is one of the most magnificent 
buildings in the city. Its foundation was laid by 
Louis XV., in 1764. By a decree of the Assembly 
of 1791, it was converted into a temple to receive 
the ashes of the great men of the country. In 1822 
it was restored as a church, to become, in 1830, a 
secular institution, and in 1848 the scene of some 



292 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

desperate combats between the insurgents and the 
troops, who ravaged the building by firing artillery 
at the revolutionists. In that dilapidated state the 
emperor, in 1852, caused the necessary repairs to be 
made, and restored it to ecclesiastical use. It is 
three hundred and two feet long, by two hundred 
and fifty in breadth at the transept. The cupola is. 
two hundred and sixty feet above the ground. The 
lantern, which crowns the summit, is four hundred 
and fifty feet above the Seine. 

The Palace de Luxembourg was begun in 1615, 
and finished in 1620. It was much enlarged in 
1804, and great additions made between 1831 and 
1841. It has served successively as the habitation 
of princes, as a prison under the first revolution, 
then as a palace of the Directory and of the Con- 
sulate; as a palace of the Senate under the first 
empire; as a palace of the peers under the restora- 
tion and under Louis Philippe, and again as the 
palace of the Senate under the second empire. 
There are several noble saloons in this palace, the 
principal ones being those of IsTapoleon I. 

The Palace of the Tuileries was built more than 
three hundred years ago, but underwent, as did a 
large portion of Paris, many alterations under 'Nsl- 
poleon III. This is in front of the Triumphal Arch 
of l^apoleon I. ; but this, and the whole of the Tuile- 
ries, were entirely destroyed by the Commune, in 
Ma}^, 1871, but are nov/ being rebuilt. I stepped 
the width, and found it to be about a quarter of a 
mile; the length about one-third greater. 

The Palace of Themis was constructed by Julian 
the Apostate, or by his ancestor, Constantine, to- 
ward the end of the fourth centur3^ The part of 
the palace -which remains consists of some subter- 
raneous passages, altars, urns, and sculpture. 

The military bands play select pieces of music 
every day, from four to six o'clock, in the principal 



Farewell to France. 293 

squares, parks, and wards of Paris, from the second 
month of spring to the last month of autumn. 

The damage done by the Prussians was small, in 
comparison with that done by the Commune. The 
ruins of the Tuileries, the Palais Royal, the Minis- 
tere de Finances, the Hotel de Yille, and many less 
important buildings, remain to bear witness of their 
blind fury. Whole streets, which were razed to the 
ground, have now been entirely rebuilt, and thou- 
sands of houses, which were more or less injured, 
have been so repaired that not a trace of the ruinous 
condition they were once in can be seen. Eighty 
square yards of the Gobelin tapestry were consumed, 
with the building in which it was kept, and the 
unique collection of tapestries of the time of Louis 
XIY., was also destro^^ed by the Commune. The 
city and country are recuperating more rapidly than 
any which has been so much devastated by the hor- 
rors of war. One would not suppose, only when he 
was looking at some of the ruins, that this gay city 
had been so recently suffering from foreign war, 
and, far worse, from the dissensions of her own 
people. Paris will soon be herself again, without a 
peer, or scarcely a rival, in the world of beauty, 
grandeur, and glory. 



Farewell to France — Back in London — Dr. Cummings — Bil- 
lingsgate — The Tower — The docks and the shipping. 

London-, August 19, 1873. 
Although I have written you three letters from 
Paris, I feel, as some of our party did, that I am not 
ready to leave it yet. To go through and around 
the city and see the devastations made by the Com- 
mune after the Prussian war was over, makes one's 
heart sick to think of such destruction by their own 
people. France has the desire for a republic with- 
out the capacity to sustain one; and although there 



294 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

seems to be peace, I think there are elements of 
discord, which will soon be manifested publicly. 
The more intelligent do not desire a republic, but a 
limited monarchy. If MacMahon does not fill their 
bill, I think they will have some one in whose veins 
flows royal blood to reign over them. This party is 
now in the ascendant, and is increasing its influ- 
ence, so that I cannot believe the present govern- 
ment will continue long. I inclose you an editorial 
from the London Times, which, I think, takes a 
proper view of the present status of politics in 
France. 

We left Paris on Friday morning. There is some- 
thing captivating about that city. Some of our 
party remained. Two young ladies from Oxford, 
Mississippi, will be here some months. 

The railroad time here is regulated to suit the 
tides. Our train was detained a short time. The 
boat waited, but the tide would not, and we had to 
await its movements. This is the first detention we 
have had. It gave us an opportunity to see the 
whole of the country in daylight. 

Rouen is the most important city on this route. 
Here, and through all this part of France, we see 
manufactories of various kinds. The land is not so 
good as it is in England, nor is it in so high a state 
of cultivation. 

We spent a few hours at the place of embarkation 
to cross the Channel. It is an old town, with many 
who make a living by fishing. We saw the mack- 
erel-fishing process, with nets. Women are fishers 
as well as men. It was a grand holiday in France — 
celebrating the Assumption. We went to a very 
large cathedral, said to be the oldest in France, to 
witness the ceremonies. White seemed to be the 
style of dressing for the occasion. Old women with 
white caps, young ladies with white head-dresses, 
young girls in blue and white. They sang with a 



Letter from Rev. T. W. Hooper. 295 

vim I have never heard in a Catholic church before. 
They then formed a grand procession, and marched 
through the streets. 

At six o'clock we sailed from France. I looked 
back to her chalk bluffs, extending all along her 
coast, reminding me of our bluffs, and sighed for 
France. The sunset, bar, and light-house were the 
last we saw of that land of revolution and commo- 
tion. 

We have to wait for the train, so that we pass 
through this part of England in the morning. Here 
large herds of cattle, and flocks of sheep are seen, 
as the train passes at the rate of forty miles an hour. 
And soon it brings us back to London again. This 
seems like home. They are our people, and like 
Americans. Sunday I went to hear Dr. Cummings 
in the morning, and a celebrated Episcopalian at St. 
Paul's, in the afternoon. 

Yesterday we passed through that celebrated 
place. Billingsgate, on our way to the Tower of 
London; thence to see the docks and shipping, and 
from there to the British Museum. 

I have not time to say any thing farther, but may 
before I conclude these sketches. It is breakfast- 
time, and other matters press upon me. I hope to 
see my friends in Memphis soon. 



Letter from the Eev. T. W. Hooper, of Lynchburg, Va., 
written for the News. 

Hotel St. Petersburg, Paris, "I 
July 16, 1873. J 

Here we are, at last, in this beautiful combination 
of Sodom and Gomorrah — beautiful in spite of all 
that the Communists have done to destroy it ; and 
as we walk its wide and shady boulevards, or prom- 
enade the magnificent Champs Ely sees, we cannot 
wonder that some enthusiasts should write, " See 



296 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

Paris and die." There is one thing certain, and 
that is, that many of the heroes of the past have 
seen Paris and died in the streets. We have visited 
the Place de la Concorde, which marks the spot 
where the beautiful and virtuous Marie Antoinette 
was beheaded; and did not grieve much when we 
remembered that the brutal Eobespierre there 
plunged into that eternity which he had passed 
with his victims, who are now ministers to his 
everlasting remains. But it is not worth while to 
moralize; for were I to attempt it, just think of the 
scenes which in three days I have seen, to awaken 
suggestion — the Madeleine, the tomb of N'apoleon, 
the Column of July, the Tuileries (in ruins), the 
Champs Elysees, the Column of Victory, the Col- 
umn Vendome (in ruins), the Louvre, and a hun- 
dred other places of historical interest and associa- 
tion, which would set a salt on fire with enthu- 
siasm, and exhaust all my French quicker than you 
can snap your fingers. 

Think of my hearing Catholic music at Notre 
Dame, where the great I^apoleon was crowned em- 
peror! Think of m}^ looking at the private apart- 
ments at the palace of Trianon, and also at the 
private bed -room and furniture of the deserted 
Josephine — at the carriage in which she rode away 
in disgrace, while near it was the one in which he 
and his new wife rode into Paris on the occasion of 
the nuptials ! Think of my visiting St. Cloud, 
where the last Il^apoleon had his favorite residence, 
and wandering along those shaded, flowering drives 
where the beautiful Eugenie once rode in all the 
beauty and dignity of her imperial splendor ! When 
I think of all these things, mingled as they are with 
visible marks of the Prussian invasion and the sub- 
sequent "reign of terror" under the anarchy of the 
Commune, I seem to have been floating in a dream 
of the past, and can hardly realize that I am actu- 



Letter from Eev. T. W. Hooper. 297 

ally here in the flesh, and that all around me are 
these wonderful palaces and promenades and boule- 
vards that are read about at home. 

But this is certainly Paris — there is no mistaking 
it. IDTone but Parisians can jabber in such uninter- 
pretable lingo. The men, women, and children all 
talk French. The horses and dogs understand 
French. The babies cry in French ; and if I were 
to live here about a year, I think I could talk 
enough to learn my way about from one place to 
another without carrying a map or employing a 
guide. As it is, we have a jolly time, and have had 
many ludicrous adventures with these people, who 
will imagine that we can speak French, and whom 
we imagine must be deaf, because they shake their 
heads and mutter something when we talk to them. 

Bat, seriously, American French doesn't pass in 
Paris much better than greenbacks, and I have not 
seriously regretted the want of such a language. 
When I want to study it, I will come over here 
and get the genuine article. Indeed, I have gotten 
along remarkably well, for their English is just as 
bad as my French, and between us we manage with 
signs, which serve every purpose — with them to 
cheat, and me to be cheated. 

I am confirmed every day in my impression that 
Mark Twain is the only man that is fit to write a 
guide-book, and that what he writes ^bout Paris is 
true to the letter. We hired his "Fergerson," or 
one of the family, yesterday and the day before, to 
guide us. The first day, he charged us five shil- 
lings apiece, and packed twenty-four on top of a 
kind of circus band-wagon, and rode us around, to 
the evident amusement of all Paris. Every now 
and then he would stop to wet his whistle, and then 
talk — rather loosely, as might be imagined. He 
was evidently disgusted, as were some of us, at the 
tomb of Abelard and Heloise; though some of the 
13^^ 



298 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

ancient "marms" almost went into hysterics, and 
even went so far as to steal flowers from the in- 
closure, which *'they had n't ought to have done." 

But, after all, beggars mustn't be choosers; and 
Scotch guides, that speak English, know the ropes, 
and have to tip a penny to see the great dining- 
halls and private chapel at Trianon, like our man 
Cunningham, are not to be despised. And then, 
he has such a dogmatic way of taking down Yan- 
kees, who, he says, are the most selfish, uncom- 
promising, dissatisfied set of people he ever saw, 
that you are obliged to admire him. And to us, 
who are so miserably grum, he has proved himself 
almost invaluable; and I would earnestly recom- 
mend him to all future tourists who are fortunate 
enough to travel with our kind and attentive friend 
Mr. Cook, who, by the way, has done all that a 
man could do for our comfort and convenience. 

But I must close this hastily-written note, scrib- 
bled at an hour which I have snatched merely to 
give our readers some idea of the scenes we have 
visited while we have been in Paris. 

I would also say, that last Sunday we heard a 
capital sermon from Eev. Mr. Hitchcock, of the 
American chapel; but at night I never saw such a 
Sabbath desecration. The Shah of Persia, who is 
quite a sharp-looking, gingerbread darkey, is here, 
and wherever we go we find the people in a stir. 
Sunday night the city was illuminated in his honor, 
and millions of gas-lights were blazing all over the 
immense crowds that swayed in every direction, and 
crowded all the avenues to get a look at his august 
majesty. I saw him, and was satisfied that I could 
beat him on looks at any of your tobacco-factories. 



Letter from Key. A. B. Whipple. 299 



Letter from the Eev. A. B. Whipple, President of Lansing- 
burgh College, N. Y. 

London, August 19, 1873. 

If I remember rightly, my dear friends and Ga- 
zette readers, I indirectly promised to write a letter 
concerning Paris, the capital of France, and, as the 
French think, the capital of the world. It really is 
a beautiful city, embracing a population of more 
than two millions. It contains public places and 
buildings of historic interest, so numerous and so 
varied as to render a selection for description quite 
a puzzle; more especially when that description 
must be quite precise, to enable the reader to see it 
as the writer does; add to this, all must be con- 
densed, not into a guide-book, but the narrow col- 
umns of a newspaper. 

Let me take you, first of all, right into the midst 
of the city to the Arc d'Etoile, the largest and 
finest sculptured arch in Europe, built by order of 
E"apoleon to commemorate his victories of 1805. 
We pause a moment to admire its size, design, and 
workmanship, and read the names of the places 
where his victories were won; we see the engraved 
honors, but not many of the horrors of war. We 
learn that its solid concrete underground structure 
is twenty-five feet in thickness, and that all above 
is solid stone. Learning so much, we seek its sum- 
mit by two hundred and forty steps, and find the 
top is one hundred and fifty feet above the ground, 
and the ground a hill ; and so Paris lies spread out 
like a huge living map below us. We are not long 
in perceiving that the Triumphal Arch is in a con- 
spicuous position. Twelve boulevards, like spokes 
of a wheel, radiate from it. Down these grand, 
doubly-lined and tree-shaded avenues, far into the 
city, we look with pleasure ; and from these same 
boulevards the glory -loving Frenchmen can cast 



300 A Memphiaj^'s Trip to Europe. 

their eyes up to this Triumphal Arch, and in heart 
bless the author, and only wait a few months to 
place the young prince in power, and shout " Yive 
I'Empereur ! " The French love the I^apoleons. 

Let us look along one boulevard at a time. 
A down the avenue we see myriads of seemingly 
happy people. On the right we see a grand build- 
ing : it is the Industrial Palace — the Crystal Palace 
— rebuilt for annual home exhibitions. Farther 
down is the broad street called the Champs Elysees 
(Elysian Fields), covering some forty acres, and 
bordering on the Seine. It is finely shaded with 
horse-chestnut trees laid out in walks, cut through 
by the avenue bearing its name. Along this the 
aristocratic drive, going to and returning from the 
park beyond the Arc. Here, too, are the amuse- 
ments for the people — singing, cofiee-houses, thea- 
ters, circuses, and mimic shows in splendid variety. 
At the lower end of this avenue is the Place de la 
Concorde, an open space with fountains and fine 
statuary; and in the midst the great . red-granite 
obelisk of Luxor, brought from Thebes, in Egypt, 
at immense expense. It is one granite piece, sev- 
enty-five feet long, well proportioned, and with 
Egyptian hieroglyphics. It has been known more 
than three thousand years. It stands on the very 
spot where, during the early Reign of Terror, stood 
the guillotine on which were beheaded Louis XYL, 
his sister Mary Antoinette, and twenty-eight hun- 
dred others. Well may a red-grsimte obelisk cover 
the spot ! Beyond this, in the same direction, are 
the gardens of the Tuileries — extended and beauti- 
fully-shaded grounds, lying immediately in front of 
the palace. Within are fountains and statuary of 
rare merit, altogether forming one of the favorite 
promenades to Parisians of all classes and ages — 
for here children and their nurses do greatly abound. 
Still farther on is the palace of the Tuileries, now 



Letter from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 301 

mostly in ruins ; the building itself, of great extent 
and many historical associations, also the late impe- 
rial residence, was destroyed in 1871 by the Com- 
munal authorities, for a short time in power in 
Paris. Adjoining the Tuileries is the Louvre — a 
palace and great national museum. It was partly 
destroyed by the Commune. Many of the halls 
remain, and in them are some of the finest pictures 
in the world ; not paintings only, but statuary of 
all ages and nations ; models of naval and marine 
architecture, from early ages to the present ; ethno- 
logical specimens, embracing the peculiar costumes 
and implements of all nations — as, for instance, the 
idols, temples, and car of Juggernaut; halls of 
vases, halls of medals, halls of dishes, halls of or- 
naments, halls of arts of all kinds, through which 
one may travel twelve miles without going over the 
same hall the second time. I tried it, and it took 
me all of one day. My eyes were never tired of 
seeing; but my legs, long ere the day was done, 
complained bitterly, inasmuch as marble floors and 
oft-repeated granite steps made even slow walking 
very hard — and even now my knees tremble at the 
sight of stairs. 

Still farther on we may enter l^otre Dame, one 
of the architectural glories of Paris and the world. 
It has two immense square towers. The whole 
front and portals are elaborate, and within are some 
of the finest Gothic arches in Europe. It has a 
wealth of stained - glass windows, splendid side- 
chapels, and a most magnificent high-altar, at which 
ISTapoleon and Josephine were crowned. As an ec- 
clesiastical object, it is the most impressive in Paris, 
and in grandeur and historical associations it can 
hardly be excelled in Europe. Across the Seine, 
to the right, we find an immense structure, built 
by Louis XIY. for military hospital purposes, and 
afterward used by IsTapoleon for the same purpose. 



302 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

It is called the Hotel des Invalides. Besides the 
living remains of many old and scarred veterans, 
there are old pictures of old wars — a little real and 
much imaginary. In the chapel are rotting J)attle- 
flags, from the oriflamme of St. Louis to those 
taken at Sebastopol. Back of this chapel is a 
church called the Dome of the Invalides — so named, 
perhaps, from its conspicuous gilded dome, enabling 
one to see it and know it from afar — more notewor- 
thy for what is within and immediately under the 
dome. In a sunken, circular space, in a large red- 
granite sarcophagus, surrounded by his moldering 
battle-flags, between a number of weeping marble 
maidens, lie the remains of E"apoleon Bonaparte. 
White marble and nice workmanship make the 
church very beautiful within; and the high-altar, 
colored by the light streaming through glass stained 
with golden color, is rendered peculiarly beautiful. 
Around in the church are monuments containing 
the remains of Yauban, Turenne, and Joseph Bona- 
parte. Two empty rooms indicate the places se- 
lected by I^apoleon III. and Eugenie as their last 
resting-place. Whether recent events in French 
history will keep them out remains to be proven. 
My judgment is, that ultimately they will be hon- 
ored with a place among their illustrious relatives, 
whom at heart the nation loves. Here, as all through 
Europe, men of great fighting ability are honored 
after death with admission to the churches, and 
worshiped as heroes, if not canonized as saints. 

My dear readers, I have only, as it were, run a 
little way down one avenue in Paris, with brief 
touches. The gay out-door life, the busy industry, 
splendid markets, stores, etc., need mention ; but I 
have used my last sheet. 



London's Immensity. 303 



CHAPTER XYII. 

Loitering in London — Prince Albert's memorial monument — 
Description of its beauties, its grandeur, and sculpture. 

London, August 20, 1873. 
London's Immensity. — The time allotted for this 
great city has nearly expired. I feel inclined to 
say something more of a few things here. The 
longer I remain here, the more I am impressed 
with its immensity. It is the only place we have 
visited that we have not been able to comprehend. 
Having been composed of qnite a number of towns 
by filling up the intervening space between them, 
it does not present that uniformity which it would 
have done had it been built as one city. This com- 
plicates the ability to grasp its proportions. It has 
thus increased its population to about three and a 
half millions. The wealth and intelligence concen- 
trates in the cities, as well as the population. 

' I was more impressed with this after visiting the 
memorial monument erected to Prince Albert, in 
Regent's Park. We went out by the underground 
railroad, and returned by two lines of omnibuses. 
In this vicinity are the Exposition buildings, and the 
South Kensington Museum. Here are the historical 
paintings of England, embracing portraits, not only 
of her kings and queens, but many of other nations ; 
also, their great men in theology, science, art, and 
literature. Here I saw many with whose names I 
have been familiar from my boyhood. Wesley's 
was taken at manhood and in old age. There is 



304 A Memphian's Teip to Europe. 

scarcely a prominent man in English history whose 
portrait is not to be found in this gallery. 

There are a great many specimens of printing in 
the different stages of its progress, and thousands of 
things collected from England's colonies, showing 
the vast resources of her territory, on which the 
sun never sets. 

I am not surprised that Englishmen are proud of 
their country. They have much of which to boast 
in her past history, present condition, and future 
destiny. They have in their government all the 
civil and religious liberty that they think is neces- 
sary. Their House of Commons, elected by the 
people, have a controlling influence in their parlia- 
ment, so that it may be said the people rule. 

Memorial Monument. — But I am wandering. I 
started to say something about the most magnificent 
memorial monument there is perhaps in the world. 
It is to honor the husband of their queen. The 
monument is elevated upon a lofty and wide-spread- 
ing pyramid of steps. From the upper platform 
rises a continued pedestal surrounded by sculptures, 
representing historical groups or scenes of the most 
eminent artists of all ages of the world, the four 
sides being devoted severally to painting, sculpture, 
architecture, poetry, and music. The figures are 
about six feet high. This forms, as it were, the 
foundation of the monument, and upon it is placed 
the shrine. This is supported at each of its angles 
by groups of four pillars of polished granite, bear- 
ing the four main arches of the shrine. There are 
one hundred and sixty-nine full-sized marble statues. 
The whole structure is crowned by a lofty shrine of 
rich tabernacle-work in gilt and enameled metal, 
continued in a cross one hundred and eighty feet 
high. Beneath this vast canopy, and raised upon a 
lofty pedestal, will be placed the statue of the prince. 
Besides the sculpture already mentioned there are, 




Prince Albert's Memorial Monument. 305 

on pedestals, groups illustrating the industrial arts 
of agriculture, manufacture, commerce, and engin- 
eering. Above these, against the pillars, are statues 
which represent the greater sciences and the Chris- 
tian virtues. At the angles of the pyramid of steps 
from which the monument rises are four large 
pedestals, being groups allegorically relating to the 
four quarters of the globe and their productions. 
The figures in the niches idealize the four great 
Christian virtues — faith, hope, charity, and humil- 
ity. The four statues at the angle of the second 
story represent the four great moral virtues — forti- 
tude, prudence, justice, and temperance. The four 
angels immediately over these niches suggest aspi- 
ration after heavenly glory. The monument is 
intended to commemorate his royal highness the 
Prince Consort, first in rank and station in the 
United Kingdom, except the sovereign, as the great 
promoter of art, science, and the social virtues. It 
is the most magnificent thing of the kind in the 
world. It was all made of materials found in Eng- 
land, and by her own artists. It was paid for by 
the spontaneous contributions of the people. 

If I had time, I would like to give a description 
of the eight groups of sculpture — four representing 
the four continents, the other four the industrial 
arts — but it would take too much space. I will say, 
however, that the four lower groups represent 
Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. The figure 
representing England is seated on a rock, against 
which the waves are dashing. France, as a mili- 
tary power, is shown holding a sword in the one 
hand and in the other a wreath of laurel. Germany, 
the great home of literature and science, is repre- 
sented in a thoughtful attitude, with an open vol- 
ume on her knee. Italy is shown as awakening 
from a dream, in allusion to her recent union into 
one kingdom, the broken column on which she ia 



306 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

sitting referring to her former greatness. Asia is 
represented by a figure seated on an elephant, and 
in the act of raising her veil from her face. The 
poet represents Persia with his pen and writing- 
case. In brief : China holding his specimen of 
porcelain ; the warrior of India and Central Asia 
with his weapons, and the Arab merchant sitting 
on his camel's saddle with the Koran beside him. 
A general feeling of repose seems to pervade this 
group. Africa is represented by an Egyptian prin- 
cess seated on a camel. On her right stands a 
E'ubian, his hand resting on a half-buried statue, in 
allusion to the monumental glories of the past. 
The negro, leaning on his bow, is the representa- 
tive of the uncivilized races of that continent. The 
camel was chosen for this group, as it is indispen- 
sable in the African deserts, and is used universally 
as a means of communication by traders, and has 
at all times been characteristic of Egypt. 

America is placed on the north angle. The group 
consists of a central figure of America as a quarter 
of the globe, mounted on a bison, charging through 
the long grass of the prairie. Their advance is 
directed by the United States on the one side, while 
Canada attends them, pressing the rose of England 
to her breast. In the other figures of the composi- 
tion are represented Mexico rising from a trance, 
and South America equipped for the chase. The 
figures of America are of the Indian type, in native 
costumes and feathered head-dresses ; the eagle 
for the United States, the beaver for Canada, the 
lone star for Chili, volcano for Mexico, the alpaca 
for Peru, and the cross for Brazil. In the compo- 
sition of this group present progress and general 
onward movement are expressed, and form a con- 
trast to the other three continents, which are more 
tranquil in their arrangement. It is the most ex- 
pressive marble I ever saw. On it you may look 



Wesleyan Chapel and Cemetery. 307 

for hours with intense interest. It is in Hyde Park, 
containing three hundred and ninety acres, beauti- 
fully laid off, and containing the statue of Wellington, 
whom England delights to honor. Take it alto- 
gether, it far surpasses any thing of the kind that 
has ever been erected. 

Sacred to John Wesley. — A number of our party, 
who had not visited the City-road Wesleyan Chapel 
and Cemetery, desiring me, I went with them 
once more to that hallowed place, made sacred by 
the life, labors, and triumphant death of one of the 
most remarkable men in English history. John 
Wesley not only commenced an organization which 
has become the largest Protestant Church, but the 
influence of the doctrines he preached has been felt 
by the Church of England and other Churches. 
Here his remains rest in the rear of the church in 
which he labored, and within a few steps of the 
house in which he passed from earth to heaven. I 
am glad the church, parsonage, and his house re- 
main as they were in his day. I bought some ste- 
reoscopic views of them, some books, and memorials 
made out of that part of the pulpit which was taken 
off when it was lowered five feet. If I venerate 
any man, and the place where his remains sleep, 
this would be that place. I saw and heard much of 
St. Paul's prison, beheading, and burial, both in St. 
Peter's and St. Paul's Churches in Kome, but I 
know not whether the places are really the ones 
they claim to be, but here I know sleep those whose 
words and works have shaken the world. Dr. 
Clarke and Richard Watson and others, whom 
Methodists esteem as pillars of the church, are here 
together, moldering to their common elements, 
while they — in the better land — have met countless 
thousands who have been aided in their upward 
march by their writings. John Bunyan, whose 
"Pilgrim's Progress" has been read by more people 



308 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 



1 



than any book save the Bible, sleeps just across the 
street, near the mother of the Wesleys. Some 
Baptists along, no doubt, felt toward him as I did 
in re2:ard to those to whom I have referred. 

I have visited several other places of interest 
since I wrote, but I find I shall spin this letter out 
too long if I give any account of them. My time 
is swiftly passing, and soon I must leave this world's 
metropolis for home. I may, how^ever, sketch some 
items of places and things that may, perhaps, be 
read with some interest, as they belong to that peo- 
ple from wdiom we descended, and to whom w^e, as 
a people, sustain the most important relations, com- 
mercially, socially, and morally. They feel toward 
us as brothers, and manifest the most lively interest 
in our welfare, thinking that — next to themselves — 
we have the best country and government in the 
world. 



Letters from the Eev. A. B. Whipple, President of Lansing- 
burgh College, N. Y. 

H. V. I., October 14, 1873. 

One day while in London I started to find the 
Patent Of&ce, as I wished to see the models of the 
many curious machines kept there for sight-seeing 
and study. I found the office only to learn that the 
models were kept in the Museum of Arts, at South 
Kensington. A pleasant ride of an hour brought 
me there ; and many an hour was spent in looking 
at the skill of man, as shown in his inventions. 
Models of almost every contrivance of man are 
gathered here in various halls and departments. At 
home I may tell of some things I saw inside the 
halls of art. 

My purpose in this letter is to describe a work of 
art which (in its completeness) surpasses any thing 
else I saw in ray journey; and I fear a single letter 



Letters from Eev. A. B. Whipple. 309 

will be insufficient to give a full account; neverthe- 
less, I will begin, and your interest in the subject 
shall be the token of continuance or discontinuance. 
"What I am about to describe is called the Prince 
Consort ITational Memorial. 

In constructing this, two objects seem to have 
been intended — one to commemorate the love of the 
nation to the prince; the other, to commemorate 
the great interest taken by the prince in the ad- 
vancement of the arts and sciences. To him Eng- 
land is greatly indebted for the World's Fair of 
1851, and the present Crystal Palace described in 
my last letter. As a study, it is hoped that this me- 
morial will stimulate the development of the deco- 
rative arts, and so, practically, illustrate and realize 
the object to which the prince incessantly devoted 
his energies. I will try and picture the monument 
in words, askiug only that you will use your fancy 
somewhat in trying to fill out the picture. 

Fancy you see the base of a granite pyramid two 
hundred feet square; walk up about twenty-five 
steps, and you are on the base of the monument. 
From this upper platform rises a continuous pedes- 
tal, surrounded by sculptures representing historical 
groups of the most eminent artists of all ages of the 
world — one side devoted to painting, one to sculp- 
ture, one to architecture, and one to poetry and 
music. The figures, carved in stone, are six feet 
high, and in number one hundred and sixty-nine — 
forty-two or forty-three on a side, with the most fa- 
mous in the center — in poetry. Homer; in painting, 
Angelo; in architecture, Christopher Wren; in 
music, Beethoven. All these form, as it were, the 
foundation of the monument on which the shrine is 
placed. This is supported by groups of four pol- 
ished granite pillars, supporting the four main arches 
of the shriue. Each side terminates with a gable, 
in the tympanum of which is a large mosaic picture. 



310 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

The intersecting roofs are covered with scales of 
metal richly enameled and gilded. The whole struc- 
ture is crowned by a lofty spire terminating in a 
cross one hundred and eighty feet above the ground. 
Under this vast canopy, on a lofty pedestal, in a sit- 
ting posture, is the statue of the prince. 

In addition to the sculpture already mentioned, 
there are, on pedestals projecting from each angle, 
groups illustrating the industrial arts of agricul- 
ture, manufactures, commerce and engineering. 
Above these, against the pillars and in the angles 
of the gables, are statues representing the greater 
sciences, and in the work of the spire are figures of 
angels and of the Christian virtues. At the four 
corners of the pyramid of steps, from which the 
monument rises, are four large pedestals, each bear- 
ing an allegoric group representing the four quar- 
ters of the globe and their productions. These I 
will more minutely describe, believing that a specific 
description will please and instruct more than a 
general one. 

The group at the south-west corner is called Eu- 
rope. It is composed of "^ye female figures seated. 
The central one, typifying the continent, is seated on 
a bull, in allusion to the ancient mythological fable ; 
in her right hand a scepter, in her left an orb, indi- 
cating the influence exercised over the other conti- 
nents. The figure of England is seated on a rock, 
against which the waves are dashing; in her right 
hand a trident, her left hand resting on a shield 
with the united crosses of St. George and St. An- 
drew. 

As a military power, France is holding a sword in 
one hand, and a wreath of laurel in the other. 

The home of literature and science, Germany, is 
in meditative attitude, with an open volume on her 
knee. 

Italy seems waking from a dream, signifying hei 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 311 

recent union into one kingdom ; she is seated on a 
broken column, alluding to her former greatness; 
and the lyre and the palette acknowledge her ex- 
cellence in the arts of music and painting. 

The group at the south-east angle represents 
Asia, the central figure only being a female. She is 
seated on an elephant, and is in the act of removing 
her veil. The prostrate elephant signifies the sub- 
jection of brute force to human intelligence; and 
the poet of Persia, with his pen and writing-case ; 
the art-manufacturer of China, holding a specimen 
of porcelain ; the warrior of India, with his weapons ; 
and the Arab merchant, resting on his camel-saddle 
— all suggest learning, industry, courage, and enter- 
prise, the combined elements of Asia's greatness. 
A characteristic of this whofe group is the spirit of 
repose resting, as it seems, on a civilization un- 
changed for ages, and never hinting of the past, nor 
anxious for the future. 

On the pedestal, at the north-east, is placed Af- 
rica. On a camel is seated the principal figure, an 
Egyptian princess, for the reason that Egypt was 
the first African power, and forerunner of civiliza- 
tion. At her right hand stands a I^ubian — her east- 
ernmost dweller — his hand resting on a half-buried 
statue, in allusion to her past monumental glories. 
On her left is a seated figure of her northern mer- 
chant, with his native products and objects of com- 
merce near him. As the representative of the un- 
civilized races of his continent, the negro stands 
leaning on his bow, listening to the teaching of a 
female figure, indicating kindly eftbrt to improve 
the race; while at his feet the broken chains show 
the part England took in the emancipation of the 
slaves. 

At the north-west, as it should be, America 
mounts the pedestal. The group consists of a cen- 
tral figure, America, mounted on a bison, charging 



312 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

through the long prairie-grass. Their advance is 
directed bj the United States on one side, while on 
the other Canada attends them, pressing the rose 
of England to her breast. Other figures represent 
Mexico rising from a trance, and South America 
equipped for the chase. A detail of the emblem is 
as follows: The figure of America is of the Indian 
type, and in native costume, with feathered head- 
dress, while the housings of the bison are a grizzly 
bear's skin. In her right hand is a stone-pointed, 
feathered lance, with Indian "totems" of the gray 
squirrel and humming-bird; and on her left arm she 
bears a shield, with blazons of the principal divis- 
ions of the hemisphere — the eagle for the States, 
the beaver for Canada, the lone star for Chili, the 
volcanoes for Mexico, the alpaca for Peru, and the 
southern cross for Brazil. In the rear, aroused by 
the passage of a bison through the grass, is a rattle- 
snake. The features of the United States are of the 
^N^orth American Anglo-Saxon civilized type. Her 
tresses are surmounted by an eagle's plume and by 
a star, which is repeated on her baldric — a richly- 
ornamented belt — at the point of the scepter in her 
right hand, and on the bracelet round her left arm; 
in her left hand is a wreath formed by the leaves of 
the evergreen oak. At her foot lies the Indian's 
quiver, with but an arrow or two left in it. Her 
dress is partly thin and partly of a thicker texture, 
indicating the great range of climate. 

Canada, dressed in furs, has a more English type; 
w^oven into her head-dress are the maple-leaf of the 
mainland and the May-flower of I^ova Scotia. In 
her right hand are ears of wheat; at her feet a pair 
of snow-shoes and the cone of a pine-tree. Three 
distinct types of womanhood are thus represented 
by the artists. Mexico has a somewhat Aztec face, 
a Mexican head-dress, stafi', feather cincture, and the 
cochineal cactus at his feet. He seems I'ising from 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 813 

his panther's skin, restless and disturbed, yet look- 
ing forward with hope. 

South America is represented by a half-breed 
type — Indians and Spaniards — seated on a rock, 
habited in a sombrero, poncho, and Indian girdle; in 
his left hand the short horseman's carbine of the 
country; in his right, a lasso. By his side is an or- 
chid of the forests of Brazil, and at his feet a horn 
of the wild cattle of the plains, and also a blossom 
of the giant lily of the Amazon. 

In comparing this American group with the 
others, one can hardly fail to notice that it is quite 
unlike the others. There is not so much of repose, 
but more of an onward movement, expressed — a 
kind of visible unrest quite in contrast with the 
other more tranquil continents. 

I could not more briejiy describe these four geo- 
graphical groups, and do them justice. They form 
a very interesting study, and do honor to the four 
different artists who designed and executed them. 
Instructive as they are, they form only a small part 
of the many alletjcorical statues and mosaics intro- 
duced into the whole monument; whether I shall 
describe the others will depend largely on your in- 
terest in what you have now read. 



H. V. I, March 2, 1874. 

In my last letter I partl}^ described the Prince 
Albert Memorial, ending with an account of the 
four lower groups, representing the four quarters of 
the world. 

Ascending the steps to the podium, we find four 
more groups of statuary, typifying agriculture, man- 
ufiicture, commerce, and engineering. The first oc- 
cupies the south-west corner, having, as the princi- 
pal figure. Agriculture, cro^vned with a wreath of 
corn, and directing the husbandmen to the improve- 
14 



314 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

ments in farming implements caused by the steam- 
engine and chemistry; she is pointing from the 
primitive plow on which the farmer leans, to a steam- 
cylinder and chemical retort lying below. Seated 
on the left of Agriculture is a woman having her 
lap full of corn as a result of the improved means; 
on the right is a shepherd-boy, with a lamb in his 
arms and a ewe by his side, suggesting the rearing 
and breeding of cattle. 

At the south-east angle stands the second group, 
having the genius of Manufactures for the principal 
figure. She -is pointing to a bee-hive as the emblem 
of industry, while an hour-glass indicates the value 
of time as important in all manufacturing opera- 
tions. Beside her is a smith, indicating the im- 
portance of the iron industries to the country in 
aiding the manufacturer. On the other side is the 
weaver, and in front the potter, exhibiting their 
textile and fictile manufactures. 

On the north-east of the podium is the allegorical 
group of Commerce. The chief figure holds in her 
left hand a cornucopia showing the result of com- 
mercial enterprise. In her right hand she holds a 
balance — emblem of trade — and also a purse and 
ledger. A ground figure in front brings corn — the 
great necessity of life — and an oriental merchant 
has a casket of jewels, indicating objects of luxury 
imported by means of commerce. 

On the north-west is the fourth group. The ge- 
nius of Engineering stands above the other figures, 
resting her hand on a steam-cylinder. In front a 
youthful figure, with compasses in hand, is noting 
a design spread on the ground before him. The 
great agent of all engineering operations, the nav- 
V}^, is seated on one side, while on the other kneels 
one holding a cog-wheel, showing that engineering 
is aided by machinery. Back of the group is a 
steam-hammer, a blast-furnace, and the Britannia 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 315 

and Menai bridges — triumphs of the engineering 
art. 

Above the podium, on four large pillars, stands 
the vaulted memorial. On the outer side, and near 
the base of the pillars, are four bronze statues, each 
about eight and one-half feet in height. One rep- 
resents Astronomy, having her head surrounded 
with a fillet of stars, and holding in her hand a 
globe — symbol of the science over which she pre- 
sides. The second statue is Chemistry, having in 
her hand a retort, one of the most important chem- 
ical instruments. The third is Geoloo:v, with ham- 
mer and pick-ax in her right hand, and in her left 
the earth partly excavated. At her feet are various 
ores and the remains of antediluvian animals. Ge- 
ometry stands at the south-west, holding in one 
hand the compasses, and in the other a tablet in- 
scribed with geometric figures. 

Above these, in the four niches of the canopy, are 
four more bronze statues. The one at the south- 
east is Rhetoric, with head bent forward as if read- 
ing a speech which she holds in her hand. In the 
north-east angle of the canopy is Medicine, holding 
a cup in her left hand, and a serpent in her right — 
emblems of Hygeia, the daughter of Esculapius. 
Philosopy occupies the north-west angle of the can- 
opy, having in one hand an open book, to which 
she points with the other, suggesting the develop- 
ment of philosophy by means of literature. The 
remaining angle of the canopy is occupied by 
Physiology, having a new-born babe on her left 
arm, to teach the highest development of perfect 
physiological forms. Her right hand points to a 
microscope as the means of investigating minute 
organisms. 

Above these, and on the spire, are eight bronze- 
gilt statues — four in the great niches, and four in 
the angles of these niches. The four greater, or 



316 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

Christian virtues, are — Faith, with her chalice and 
cross; Hope, with upraised look, standing beside 
her anchor; Charity, a crowned figure, uncovering 
her bosom with her right hand, and in her left hold- 
ing the burning heart; and Humilit}^, fully draped, 
looking down, and holding in her right hand a 
lighted taper. The four lesser or moral virtues are 
Fortitude, armed with a shield and club; Prudence, 
holding the serpent-emblem of wisdom; Justice, 
holding the sword and scales; Temperance, with a 
bridle in her hands. Immediately above these, 
with drooping heads, are four angels, in attitudes 
suggesting the resignation of worldly honors; while 
still higher, and at the base of the surmounting 
cross, four other angels, with uplifted heads and 
hands, indicate aspirations for heavenly glorj^. 

Underneath the vault of blue mosaic ground, in- 
wrought with his armorial bearings, is the bronze 
statue of the Prince Consort, for whom this na- 
tional memorial has been constructed. He is repre- 
sented in a sitting posture, in attitude and expxas- 
sion embodying rank, character, and a responsive 
intelligence, showing active interest in every thing 
indicated by the surrounding groups, figures, and 
relievos. In his right hand is a catalogue of the 
works collected for the International Exhibition of 
1851. The dedicatory inscription is in mosaic, the 
letters of blue glass with black edges on a ground 
of gold-enameled glass: "Queen Victoria and her 
people to the memory of Albert, Prince Consort, as 
a tribute of their gratitude for a life devoted to the 
public good." 

From this description, thus minutely given, and 
yet containing only a small part of the whole, one 
can easily see the great amount of study, as well as 
work, required to create and execute this remarka- 
ble memorial. The learning of all ages and climes 
is here expressed in symbols appreciated by every 



Letters from Eev. T. W. Hooper. 317 

visitor in proportion to his knowledge. The whole 
becomes what artists call a study, and reveals the 
character and attainments of the prince so honora- 
ble and honored, and of the men and nation de- 
signing and constructing it. More and more will it 
become the honored resort of the learned traveler. 
If you have read the description carefully, you may 
have noticed that not a soldier or warrior or great 
military hero has any mention or symbol to illus- 
trate his usefulness to the world. The peaceful arts, 
the moral and Christian virtues, all aim upward and 
terminate in the cross — a significance which the 
race would see realized. 



Letters from the Rev. T. W. Hooper, of Lynchburg, Va., 
written for the News. 

London', August 11, 1873. 

Here we are, once more in this great metropolis, 
enjoying again the pleasant sound of our mother- 
tongue, and somewhat familiar with its streets and 
noted places, from our former visit. You cannot im- 
agine how pleasant it is to us all to get out of the 
range of French and German, and understand what 
is spoken at the depots and on the streets by those 
who are talking to each other or to us. 

We left Brussels Saturday morning, by rail, and 
spent several hours very pleasantly at Antwerp, 
waiting for the steamer. We visited the cathedral, 
which is most famous for containing the finest 
paintings of Rubens. "We saw his masterpiece. The 
Descent from the Cross, and another not much in- 
ferior, in my judgment, The Elevation on the 
Cross. Both are worthy of his genius, and the cit- 
izens of Antwerp are proud of the fact that such a 
man as Rubens was born there. His statue in the 
public place represents him as one of the finest- 
looking men, with a most intellectual brow. At 4 



318 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

o'clock p.m. we bade adieu to the continent, on the 
steamer Pacific, in the midst of a fearful thunder- 
storm, and glided down the Scheldt, between Bel- 
gium and Holland, watching with great interest the 
entrance to the great ship canal that leads up to 
E-otterdam, the tremendous sea-walls along the 
shore, which keep back the water from the lowland, 
with its sluices for drainage at low tide, and its 
w^indmills for pumping purposes, where the land is 
lower than the tide, and at about dark we passed 
Flushing, where we exchanged pilots, and floated 
out upon the waters of the German Ocean. In 
the meantime the storm had passed away, and, much 
to our surprise and gratification, the dreaded ocean 
was as calm as a Scotch lake, and we slept as 
soundly as we could have done on shore. 

This evening we reached Harwich, where we 
landed, and after a formal examination of baggage, 
we came on rapidly by the cars to London. On 
reaching the St. Pancras Hotel, said by the proprie- 
tors to be the largest in the world, we were pleased 
to be so cordially greeted by the second and third 
sections, who had preceded us by a few days. It 
was delightful to meet with these friends, from 
whom we had parted a month ago, and exchange 
views as to the different places we had all seen at 
diiferent times and under dififerent circumstances. 
But I am sure that all of us are more than delighted 
with what we have seen, and it is a mystery to us 
all how Thos. Cook & Son could show us so much, 
in such a time, and at such a small cost, when we 
compare notes with other travelers. I have no hes- 
itation now, after a thorough trial, in advising all 
my friends who propose a European tour hereafter 
to purchase Mr. Cook's coupons, and I can conceive 
of nothing more pleasant in the way of travel than 
for twenty friends to form a party under his personal 
superintendence, or conducted by one of his own 



Letters from Rev. T. W. Hooper. 319 

conductors. We have no trouble about our bag- 
gage, or rooms at hotels, or payment of bills, or 
securing seats (extra cars when required). We have 
sometimes found our trunks in our rooms on our 
arrival at the hotel, and our rooms are always 
ready to receive us, and the meal awaiting us when 
we arrive. 

I am inclined to think, too, that preference has 
been given to us where there was a crowd, and I 
am sure that the Messrs. Cook and our conductor, 
Mr. Tuttshell, have done every thing that lay in 
their power for our pleasure and our comfort. 

But yesterday ! What pen can describe the 
pleasure of Protestant worship in a Christian land, 
after even two Sabbaths on the Continent? As we 
expect to spend a week or ten days here, we had 
already secured rooms (four of us) at Mr. Cook's 
boarding-house, just opposite the British Museum, 
so we moved around Saturday evening. It may be 
that the quiet, home-like place, in contrast to busy, 
bustling hotels, had something to do with it; but 
yesterday was a calm, beautiful, sunny day, and we 
certainly made the most of it. At 11 o'clock a.m. 
we mingled with the 6,500 worshipers at Mr. Spur- 
geon's Tabernacle. The house is elliptical, with 
the pulpit, or stand, in one focus, and a double gal- 
lery all around. Large as it is, I thought as I stood 
in the pulpit that my voice would till it as easily as 
it does my own church at home. By the kindness 
of a member we had a seat near the center of the 
main auditorium, Mr. C. having secured tickets 
for the whole party. A little ticket also secured to 
us admission to the communion-table in the lecture- 
room below, after the services, and for the first time 
in ray life I had the pleasure of eating the Lord's 
Supper with my dear brethren of the Baptist 
Church. I remembered those at home, as well as 
the dear people of my own charge, with whom I 



820 A Memphian's Tkip to Europe. 

communed the Sunday before I left home, and with 
one of whom, at least, I shall meet no m.ore, until 
I meet her in heaven. 

Mr. Spurgeon was more portly than I expected to 
find him, and his whiskers gave him a difterent 
appearance from the picture that I have in my 
study. His manner is plain, simple, earnest, and 
at times impassioned. His voice is strong, clear, 
well-modulated, and capable of almost any inflec- 
tion. He preaches to his vast congregation just as 
we common men talk at our prayer- meetings. 
There is the same self-possession, colloquial sim- 
plicity, directness, point, and homeliness; while 
now and then come the flashes of genius, and all 
along is the deep earnestness of a man who wants 
to save souls and to comfort believers. He is bold 
in the statement of doctrine, but not dry ; unquali- 
fied in his renunciation of error, but not personal; 
candid in the statement of his own trusts, but char- 
itable to those who difier from him. His text was 
from Isaiah Ix., and the subject, " Praising God for 
his loving kindnesses." After the Communion we 
went up to shake hands, and found him a really 
pleasant, jovial, warm-hearted Christian man, glad 
to see everybody from America, and with a warm 
grasp of the hand, said: ''God bless you, my 
brother, and take you all back home in safety." 

As we still had several hours before us, we 
strolled on down across the Thames at London 
bridge, up through by the monument where the 
great fire was stayed, through Poultry lane, and 
other places familiar to every reader of English lit- 
erature, to the Cathedral of St. Paul, where Canon 
Lyddon was to preach at 3:15 p.m. We entered the 
grand old cathedral along with an immense con- 
course, and secured chairs in the middle aisle just 
under the dome, and not far from the pulpit, which 
was placed against one of the central columns. To 



Letters from Rev. T. W. Hooper. 321 

the music of a splendid organ there carae in a long 
procession of men with white gowns on, who turned 
out to be the choral service performers, and who 
chanted the w^hole service bodily, including the 
Lord's Prayer, two or three times. This, I must 
say, I did not think in good taste, not to mention 
the absence of all that was spiritually beneficial to 
the people. The boys sang well, but the old man 
that led reminded me of a Hard-shell Baptist 
preacher, with his long, wdiining drawl. I wondered 
what Brother C. would think of such a performance 
in another St. Paul's, and hope the day will never 
come when our brethren there will imagine that this 
is the way to worship God "in the beauty of holi- 
ness." But after this display of musical praj'ing, 
amid the burning of tapers, we had a splendid 
hymn or anthem — the most of it a solo — and then 
the sermon. It must be a miserable place to preach 
in, for the speaker's voice echoed among the arches 
equal to an Alpine horn; but he had preached there 
before, and knows how to control it. The sermon 
was based on the lesson of the day — "The unjust 
steward" — and was a splendid specimen of highly- 
finished, classic, ornate eloquence, splendidly deliv- 
ered, and anywhere else and to any other audience 
would have produced a profound impression. But 
the nobility are not good listeners, and the cathe- 
dral, with its stillness, is inviting for a drowsy re- 
past, and I am afraid several of the lords and ladies 
I saw were not wide enough awake to take the 
solemn admonitions which were reenforced by the 
recent sudden deaths of the Bishop of Winchester 
and others, to Avhom the speaker alluded. 

Last night we started too late for the whole ser- 
vice, for it commences at half-past six, but we were 
directed through several narrow lanes near Covent 
Garden, to the quaint old church of Dr. Cummins. 
We found him preaching in his old Scotch gown, iu 
14* 



822 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

a little inverted wine-^lass of a pulpit at the side 
of the church, to, not a large, but seemingly a very 
select audience. Indeed, he told me afterwards, 
when I met him in the "lecture room," that the 
most of his people were in the country, and those 
were strangers. He was preaching on " God forbid 
that I should glory," etc. His style, too, is plain, 
simple, colloquial, and his sermon very suggestive 
and rich in illustration. 

But my paper is out. I hope to hear him and 
Spurgeon again next Sunday, and by that time I 
shall have made up for the two Sundays I lost on 
the Continent. 



Although it is after 9 o'clock p.m., and after such 
tramps as I have taken I ought to be in bed, still, 
as all of our immediate party are out sight-seeing, 
and I am weary, I have concluded to write what 
may be mj last letter to you on this famous tour. 
The fact is, on such a trip as this a man sees so 
much, and he becomes so weary with the sight, that 
it is almost impossible to find time or inclination to 
write, nor does he know what to write about. 

What interests one person will not interest an- 
other; and, indeed, in our party of four, we find it 
more pleasant to go out separately, and just wander 
about as inclination may suggest. But as far as I 
am personally concerned, I enjoy wandering along 
the streets and looking in at the windows about as 
much as any other amusement. The retail shops 
here are small, and sometimes, I think, nearly the 
whole stock will be displayed in the windows. I 
have just been wandering up and down Tottenham 
Court road, as it is called, where there are thou- 
sands of people promenading in the brilliant gas- 
light and looking in at the brilliant windows, where 
are displayed all kinds of articles, from a "ha'penny 



Letters from Rev. T. W. Hooper. 323 

box of matches" to a hundred-dollar gold watch, 
or from a Scotch herring to the largest salmon. I 
have spent hours in this way, every day, with great 
satisfaction. But of course we have not confined 
ourselves to this kind of amusement. 

On Monday night, by special invitation, we were 
all regaled at the rooms of the British and Foreign 
Sabbath-school Union, where a member of parlia- 
ment presided, and where we had some good Sab- 
bath-school music that reminded me of home, 
especially the song, "Work while the day," etc. 
We also had some good speeches, and closed with 
a refreshment of ices, cakes, wines, etc. 

Yesterday, J. T and I took a stroll down 

Chancery lane to Fleet street, Ludgate hill, King 
William street, etc., until we came to London 
bridge. Here we had our pictures taken, and met 
with some very pleasant people who were about to 
sail for Norfolk via Allan Line, and thence to At- 
lanta. They were very inquisitive about our coun- 
try, and we referred them to our friend Major Rob- 
ertson, as there was a young lady in the party. We 
then went on down through Billingsgate, of which 
you have heard before. As the market was almost 
closed, it was too late for much "cussing;" and 
amid numerous smells we went on through the old 
city to the Tower. Stopping long enough to visit 
the Jewel-room, where we saw all the crowns, scep- 
ters, etc., and the famous Koh-i-noor diamond, we 
continued our walk to London Dock. Here we 
found vessels from all quarters of the globe, and 
stores of merchandise (assafetida included) suffi- 
cient to stock a large city. We also went into the 
famous port-wine vault, where there are at this time 
twenty-two thousand casks of the best port. We 
tasted it, of course ; and from its effect I am sure 
I must be constitutionally a "Son of Temperance.'* 
We then walked through the tunnel under the 



824 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

Thames, and crossing at London bridge, we took 
a "bus" and came on home pretty well used up. 

This morning, I again strolled down to the old 
city, passing Pudding lane, Threadneedle street, 
Cheapside, etc., all of which are familiar names to 
the readers of English literature, went by Newgate 
Prison, in the Old Bailey, and down to the office of 
the -London Times. It is, as I expected, a little, in- 
significant-looking place in Printers' square, and 
no one could imagine that such a "thunderer" 
could find its electricity in such a small battery. 
However, they are building a much larger edifice, 
and we must excuse them. The front of the old 
building is very much like the first page of the 
Times itself, even to the frontispiece; and men who 
wield such an influence can afi[brd to live without 
any attempt at display. 

I then visited the rooms of the British and For- 
eign Bible Society, which has issued the Bible in 
two hundred dififerent languages, and where I bought 
for one shilling a Bible that would cost with us 
seventy -five cents. I then started on up the Thames 
to the Temple Gardens. Here I hired an escort at 
sixpence, who conducted me to the Middle and 
Inner Temple, where I saw^ the great dining-hall 
where the judges and barristers have a dinner four 
times a year, during term-time, at which kings are 
sometimes present. The hall itself is very finely 
carved, and adorned with most excellent portraits 
of the most distinguished jurists and kings w?io 
have been benchers in the Temple. 

Winding around through various old courts and 
lanes, we entered the old Knight Templar Chapel, 
where Yaughan is now the chaplain, saw the tombs 
of some of the most distinguished Crusaders who 
were buried here, and then went to the grave of 
Oliver Goldsmith. I do not know that I have had 
sadder and at the same time more grateful feelings 



Letters from Rev. T. W. Hooper. 325 

anywhere, than when standing over the clust of the 
author of "The Vicar of Wakefield." I gathered 
a few leaves of ivy and picked up a few stones, and 
then looked in at the very window out of which he 
for the last time looked at that nature which he so 
much admired. I thought of Johnson and Garrick, 
and Reynolds and Burke, until memory itself was 
weary; and going out upon the Strand, I went into 
the former palace of Henry VHI. and Cardinal 
Wolsey (as the sign asserts), and had my head 
shampooed by machinery. "To what base uses," 
etc. That is one difiiculty about England, in con- 
trast with other countries that we have visited : in 
Paris every memento of antiquity seems to be pre- 
served with the greatest veneration ; but here they 
are all turned to some practical use, or else pulled 
down, to give way for some modern edifice. I sup- 
pose the difierence is somewhat due to the differ- 
ence of nationality; and while the glory of France 
is in the past, in England they are constantly ad- 
vancing, and hence have no especial use for these 
memorials of a past w^hich is now eclipsed by the 
living present. 

Washington Irving describes his hunt for the old 
Boar's Head Tavern of Dame Quickly, and states 
that, after a long ramble through the narrow lanes 
of the old city, he found nothing but the original 
" boar's head," and this was built into the wall of a 
modern building. 

And here, in my case, remember I have taken a 
bench in the banqueting-room of Crosby Hall, have 
sipped some wine at a house where Queen Eliza- 
beth took a lunch on her way from the Tower, and 
have capped the climax by having my hair sham- 
pooed in the original palace of Henry YIH. and 
Cardinal Wolsey ! I think I shall get a "boots " to 
shine my gaiters on the foundation of old Black- 
friars, and then close my visit to London by repeat- 



326 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

ing Mark Twain's soliloquy at the grave of Adam, 
if I can find where old Bishop Hooper was buried, 
and then return to Scotland and America. 

I hope that your printers may do better in the 
way of deciphering my manuscript in this than they 
did in my first three letters which I have seen, and 
that soon after this appears I shall meet you "at 
home." 



Letters from the Eev. A. B. Whipple, President of Lansing- 
burgh College, N. Y. 

On Board the Victoria, August 29, 1873. 

Once more, kind readers, in the cabin of this 
good ship, I take the pen to while away the hours 
of a rainy day. Some are singing " Homeward 
Bound," and some "A Life on the Ocean Wave," 
and all are being "Rocked in the Cradle of the 
Deep " — a sentiment, by the way, more beautiful in 
song than in sensation, and more than sensational 
enough for those whose inner life heaves responsive 
to the sea. Some are playing cards, some chess, 
some checkers, some lie reading, some are writing, 
and many are in their berths longing for land. "We 
are a part of the Educational Party, returning to 
our friends, who have all along been interested in 
our passage and welfare; they will expect some- 
thing, and some will ask this, others that. " What 
did you see in London?" " O, ever so many 
things." " Well, what? Did you see the Crystal Pal- 
ace ? " " Certainly." " Well, tell us something about 
it." ''Will you have it in mathematics, geography, 
history, manufactures, or the fine arts?" "Just as 
you will." Altogether, then. 

Architecturally the palace is modern English, a 
style unlike any thing ancient, made so by necessity 
of materials used, and the object of the structure. 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 327 

The materials are iron and glass ; the object, a per- 
manent palace of art and education. Above the 
basement floor is one grand central nave, two side 
aisles, two main galleries, two transepts, and two 
wings, made wholly of iron and glass, save a little 
wood paneling on the west front. In length the 
main building is 1,508 feet, each wing 574, and a 
colonnade from the railroad station of 720, a total 
of 3,476 feet, or nearly three-fourths of a mile long, 
380 feet wide, and, in central transept, 200 feet 
high, covered with a roof of glass. The iron col- 
umns, if placed end to end, would reach over six- 
teen miles, and the glass would cover twenty-live 
acres, and, if the panes were laid endwise, would 
reach 242 miles ; add 30,000 superficial feet of glass 
and sixty tons of iron for the colonnade, and you 
have the materials above the basement. It is built 
on a side hill, leaving the lower side as a basement 
story, fronting the gardens ; w^hile the back side is 
tunneled by a horizontal brick shaft twenty-four 
feet wide, connected with the railroad, and used as 
a roadway to take into the palace heavy materials. 
Leading out of this tunnel are passages for the fur- 
naces, boilers, coal-bins, engines, and the heating 
apparatus, whereby the enormous area of the pal- 
ace is made to have the genial heat of Madeira 
through all the damp English winter — thus tropical 
plants have a li-ving home. In front are two hun- 
dred acres of gardens and walks, uniform in struc- 
ture with the palace; ^. e., the width of the walks, 
the width and length of the basins of the fountains, 
the length of the terraces, and the breadth of the 
steps, are all multiples or submultiples of eight. So 
you will see that mathematics has much to do with 
the artistic harmony of palace and garden. Though 
you ask me to describe the palace, let me pause a 
moment on the broad flight of steps of the first 
turret, and glance at the prospect. Below are lower 



328 A Mbmphian's Trip to Europe. 



'^^■j 



terraces, bordered by stone balustrades. Along 
these, at intervals, are placed statues, and, in front, 
the broad central walk, doubly lined with plant- 
trees. On the next terrace the green turf is filled 
with richly-tinted flowers, watered by fountains jet- 
ting high in the air. Central is the large circular 
fountain, surrounded by white marble classic statues 
of heroic size. On the left, or north, stand cedar 
trees; below are the water temples, with rushing 
cataracts on either side, down to the vast basins of 
the great fountains, lying like lakes in the green 
turf beyond. Kight and left are pleasant, sloping 
lawns, dotted here and therewith trees and shades; 
and far away in the distance is the great garden of 
nature herself, in rural loveliness unmatched by any 
skill of man. From all this out-of-door beauty let 
us turn and enter the very center of the palace, and, 
looking around, find that it is not, like the Indus- 
trial Palace of Vienna, a place for the exhibition of 
modern fabrics and modern arts, but rather what a 
teacher prefers, a progressive view of civilization 
for more than 3,000 years, as shown by the restored 
specimens of architecture, sculpture, and mural 
decorations. To these let us turn our attention, 
noting at the outset that a nation's religion has 
much to do with its architecture and art. Oldest 
here is the Egyptian, and interesting because of its 
connection with Bible history, as well as the perfect 
condition of the remains. We find here, recon- 
structed, an Egyptian court, giving us an insight 
into the manner of life thirty centuries ago. We 
find the style of structure simple, gigantic, and 
with massive solidity, almost entirely of stone. 
This solidity, suited to their requirements, seems a 
permanent feature, because their religion forbade 
any change in the representations of those gods and 
kings so frequently carved on teniples and tombs. 
In the restored court before us, we have the outer 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 329 

walls and colonnades of a temple constrncted 300 
years B.C., during the Ptolemaic period. On the 
walls we see colored sunk-reliefs of a kins: makins: 
offerings or receiving gifts from the gods ; on the 
capitals of the columns palm and locust leaves, 
some showing the papyrus in its various stages of 
development, from the simple bud to the full-blown 
flower. The frieze above the column has a hiero- 
glyphic inscription, which, when translated, reads: 
" In the seventeenth year of the reign of Victoria, 
the ruler of the waves, this palace was erected and 
furnished with a thousand statues, a thousand 
plants, etc., like as a book, for the use of the men 
of all countries." On the outside of the court, on 
the cornice, is engraved in character the names of 
her majesty and the Prince Consort, while within, 
on lintels and sides, are engraved the different titles 
of King Ptolemy; and the decorations of the inner 
walls, in coloring, are taken from actual remains in 
Egypt. Here we see a large picture copied from 
the great temple of Rameses III., near Thebes. It 
represents the counting of 3,000 hands of warriors 
slain in battle. On the left we see eis^ht ffis-antic 
figures of Rameses the Great, of date 1300 B.C. 
Passing on, we enter a dark tomb, copied from one 
at Beni-Hassan. This is the oldest architectural 
work in the Crystal Palace — 1660 B.C. We come 
out to find ourselves among scattered statues, among 
which we see two circular-headed stones, copies of 
the celebrated Rosetta stone, from which Dr. Young 
and Champollion obtained a key for deciphering 
the hieroglyphics. The stone is engraved in three 
characters — that of the priests, hieroglyphic; that 
of the people, enchorial ; and the last in Greek ; the 
whole is an address to Ptolemy V., the Greek king 
of Egypt, setting forth his praises. All this repre- 
sents customs 200 B.C. Farther on is a model of the 
Temple of Aboo Simbel, cut in the side of a rock in 



330 A Mbmphian's Trip to Europe. 

j^ubia. Immense sitting figures represent Rameses 
the Great; and smaller ones his mother, wife, and 
daughter. The models are one-tenth in size of the 
original; hence the columns and statues were forty- 
seven and sixty-two feet in height. Without being 
more minute, one can learn that in the Crystal Pal- 
ace we can go to Egypt and see it as it was in its 
best days. The impression made on our minds is 
favorable, and henceforth Egypt will suggest pleas- 
ant thoughts. We have been in her royal palaces, 
and seen their cheerful surroundings. Like modern 
cities full of art, there doubtless was much of igno- 
rance and slavish toil ; and sun-burnt brick, full of 
straw, recall the labors of the Israelites. We next 
enter the Greek court, to find that architecture and 
sculpture have greatly advanced, l^o priestly relig- 
ion fettered its progress, and so we pass from 
shadow into sunshine. A religion deifying the in- 
tellect of man stimulates that intellect to the utmost, 
and imagination seeks in every realm the highest 
type of beauty. The court that we enter is of the 
Doric order, taken from the Temple of Jupiter, at 
]N"emea, 300 B.C., the highest period of Greek art. 
We enter first the forum, used as a market and for 
political assemblies, and see around the frieze the 
names of poets, artists, and philosophers. We see 
Greek monograms, formed of the initial letters of 
the Muses, Graces, the good, and the wise. We be- 
hold walls of blue, red, and yellow, blazoned with 
gold, and causing a beautiful efiect. But we may 
not describe all the beautiful works of art, as we 
should need a full knowledge of Greek mythology 
and a whole book to do the subject justice. Suffice 
it to say, we visited Greece — the Greece of ancient 
history — better than the traveler of to-day. In like 
manner w^e enter the palace of ancient Rome; this, 
too, after we had been among its ruins, and could 
the better appreciate Rome as it was in its palmiest 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 331 

days. We notice one thing noteworthy — it is the 
use of the arch in architecture, a feature -found 
susceptible of the greatest variety of treatment ; 
though known by Greek and Assyrian, it seems not to 
have been much used till by the Romans. The use 
of the arch produced a marked change in Roman 
buildings. Leaving the Roman, we enter the Al- 
hambra, or Saracenic court, an offshoot, or graft of 
the parent stem, wonderful for its novelty, and ex- 
citing our highest admiration hy rich and splendid 
decorations within, while the external structure is 
plain, simple masonry. Moorish architecture is rich 
with arabesque work in colored stucco, mosaic pave- 
ments, marble fountains, and sweet-smelling flowers. 
The Alhambra — the red — was of the thirteenth 
century, the scene of luxurious pleasures, and of 
many fearful crimes. The portions here reproduced 
are the Court of Lyons, Tribunal of Justice, Hall 
of the Abencerrages, and the Divan. Outside these 
courts are diaper-work, consisting of inscriptions in 
Arabic, representations of bowers and of flowing 
decorations, over which the qjq wanders, pleased 
with harmony of color and variety of ornament. 
The Hall of the Abencerrages is most noteworthy, 
the splendid fringe of the stalactite roof composed 
of 5,000 separate pieces, keyed into and supporting 
each other. These are variously colored and very 
beautiful. Over the columns in the Court of Lyons 
we read in Cufic characters, "And there is no Con- 
queror but God." Lingering here, however long, 
we discover no statue or paintings of bird and beast ; 
for Moorish religion forbade the representations of 
living objects. Despite this law, the Moorish mind 
has evoked enou2:h artistic skill to arrest and en- 
chain our pleased attention. But I may not prolong 
these descriptions, for I should have to take you 
through the Romanesque, the Byzantine, the Me- 
diaeval, English, French, German, and Italian varie- 



832 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

ties, together with the JRenaissance and Elizabethan 
styles, thus giving the world's progressive archi- 
tecture. I spent the day alone amid all these; yet 
they are only part of the studies of this wonder- 
ful palace of art and education, costing already 
$7,500,000, and still to be increased. There are in- 
dustrial compartments of cutlery, porcelain, paper, 
etc.; collections of pictures, photographs, and casts 
of medallions; illustrations of mechanics and man- 
ufactures; botany; ethnology, or illustrations of 
national characteristics, including our own Ameri- 
can Indians; palaeontology., or extinct animals; ge- 
ology; hydraulics, as seen in the fountains; musical 
facilities of an unprecedented kind; also, a Tech- 
nological Museum, with collections of home, colo- 
nial, and foreign products; and finally, the Marine 
Aquarium, three hundred feet long and fifty wide, 
with many thousands of sea creatures, vertebrate 
and invertebrate, in thirty-eight tanks, requiring 
one hundred and fifty thousand gallons of sea-water. 
Crabs, lobsters, star-fish, anemones, corals, in all 
their beauty of coloring, radiation, and motion, 
catch the eye and stay the footsteps of the many 
thousand visitors who gaze into the clear and quiet 
waters, and thus behold the wonders of the deep 
sea, on w^hose heaving surface we are tossing home- 
ward. 



Lansixgburgh, March — , 1874. 

My Dear Doctor: — You ask of me — "the quiet 
man " — for some thoughts not yet in print. Stored 
away in my note-book I find little seed-thoughts, 
labeled "odds and oddities." I send you a few at 
random; may others do likewise! 

Under July 9th I find in my book the word "Pa- 
cific." It has its lesson. That day we (the Italian 
party) left London for Harwich; thence, on the 



Letters from Rev. A. B. Whipple. 333 

"Pacific," across the German Ocean; a good sup- 
per before we started. On deck your "quiet man" 
took to readins^ his Italian volume, with its double 
alphabet of pages. Such a school-book you never 
saw. At first it seemed all ! ! ! ; soon these changed 
to ???; next ,,, followed by ;; ; then :::, and finally 
came a full . The fly-leaves indicated a threatening 
calm. The full moon was watching us. Gently 
then began to play the mirthful waves of the Ger- 
man sea. Some of our quiet teachers could keep 
silence no longer. They seemed to have caught the 
intonations of the German lansruao^e, and made some 
matter-of-fact ejaculations, directed rather to dol- 
phins than deities. I think there was as much solid- 
ity of utterance as is often expressed by "school- 
masters abroad." The "poetry of motion" seemed 
exhaustive, while the tones sank lower and lower, 
till in the ''Hngentes cavernas navis'' they died away 
in moanings and groanings, to the music of which 
your quiet man "paced along the deck upon the 
giddj^ footing of the hatches." 

Under Friday the 11th — unlucky day — I wrote 
"Penny for a chair." We had been doing Brussels 
all day; and, just as the sun was setting, a fellow- 
traveler and myself, walking along the Boulevard 
de Waterloo, espied a couple of chairs. We thought 
fortune favored us, as we seated ourselves. Pres- 
ent\y a little German boy appeared before us with a 
paper. IsTot being able to read, we shook our heads, 
and said "iVem." He stuck by like a good boy, as 
no doubt he was, till we had said "?2ef?i" at least 
ninety-nine times, when he disappeared, and soon 
reappeared with about three hundred pounds of 
mother, red in the face and arms, the hands of 
which were entreatingly extended toward us. She 
talked away impatientl}^, as I should judge from her 
appearance and the appearance of a crowd at the 
same time about us, a couple of foreigners. She 



334 A Memphian's Tkip to Europe. 

did not seem to understand our ^^neins" any better 
than we did her '^kreiitzers." We seemed to be 
very attractive — to the crowd. A new thought 
seemed to be born just then ; for, darting across the 
street, she shook her fist in the face of a man who 
wore a sword, and then pointed at us. Pie imme- 
diately surrounded us, and talked beautifully — I 
presume — though we did not know a word. We 
were getting rested, and enjoyed the sights and 
sounds. Indeed, we did not know till then how 
much we were thought of. Growing calmer as the 
army was preparing for a coup de something, we 
bribed the frau with two cents to open a way of re- 
treat, and, escaping to our hotel, pondered long on 
the fashions around, especially that of leaving 
chairs in the streets to entrap the wandering school- 
teacher. 

Under July 13th I find "Pendulum Pumps" — to 
the traveler in Cologne suggesting a curious way by 
which the tall pumps are made to discharge water. 
The word itself explains the manner. Where so 
much beer and wine are used, hydrants are numer- 
ous, and human ones in public places are far from 
being infrequent. On our way to the grand old ca- 
thedral, these water-works often seemed a bar to 
our farther progress, till some encouraging D.D. 
would strengthen the wavering footsteps of the eru- 
bescent creature beside him with the remark, ''In 
this country we must walk by faith, and not by 
sight," and so the Americans "move on." 

Friday, 18 — another unlucky day — has the word 
"Brandy." We — friend Tift and myself — had 
looked down upon Vienna from the lofty dome of 
the Exposition building, and wandered among its 
inside wonders, and by mistake had wandered into 
a strange part of the city instead of our own hotel, 
and we could not make ourselves understood, and 
so left the horse-cars. We sought instruction in 



( 



Letters from Eev. A. B. Whipple. 335 

saloons; no one spoke English or French. .Despair- 
ing as night drew on, we tried again. I tried my 
French : ''Parlez-vo/is Francais V ^'Oui, llonsieur." 
" Oil est r Hotel de Villef'" She smiled, called a little 
boy, who at her command disappeared for a mo- 
ment, and then came smiling toward us with a 
server, on which were two small glasses of brandy. 
What could two good temperance men do? We 
looked at the woman, the boy, the brandy; thought 
what we could, and departed, leaving the '•'•dame'' 
and '-^garcon''' greatly astonished; and I seem to 
hear her say, "What did they come in here for, if 
not to drink?" Sure enough, how could they get 
''Hotel de Ville'' out of my ''eau de vie'' f I stopped 
talking French to Austrians. 

Saturday, 19 — "Paid for." Again we had roamed 
through the Industrial- Palace, seen the goods and 
the emperor. We were tired, and wanted to be re- 
lieved; were ready to be relieved of something 
more than blood and money. By searching, we 
found what the Italians call a "Retireta," and the 
French a "Palace dAlsace." In a central place we 
found it — a beautiful architectural design, concealed 
and well watered. We enter, to find a comfortable 
room, with a table, and two not over-beautiful Aus- 
trian ladies seated thereat. They rise to receive us, 
and do us personal favors, inquiring our necessities, 
even to the utmost, and for a sixpence allow us to 
depart, greatly relieved and amused at Austrian cus- 
toms. They gave us their cards, which you may 
translate at your leisure : 

Die Cassierin ist verpflichtet, nur gegon TJebergabe dieses 
Ut) Billets den hierauf bezeichneten Betrag in Empfang zu nehmen. 
jH Es wird hoflichst ersucht, dieses Billet, nachdem es von der 
CO ii^ Innern aufgestellten Con trolls-Person cou rit ist, bis zum 
J> Austritt aus der Toilette behufs weiterer Controlle aufzube- 
wahren. ' O 

Droud von T. B. Ballishauffer. 



336 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

July 30. Rome — "Extras." Id the matter of eat- 
ing we have had but little to say. Breakfast at eight, 
and dinner at six, with ten intermediate hours for di- 
gestion, gave us generally a good appetite, and, per- 
haps, the wonder of the waiters. We also wondered 
at some of their ways. Almost the first thing they 
would ask us at table was this: "What is j^our 
number?" Every thing is charged to the number 
of the room we occupy; hence, sometimes good 
temperance men find extras for wine, etc., which 
they have not had — a plan by which some one has 
imbibed at another's expense. Such a plan was tried 
on us at Lucerne; but we would not pay the bill. 
Well, on the morning of our departure from Rome, 
we had the usual continental biscuit and one piece 
of meat. Friend Tift sat at my right; he had 
taken his allowance. "Number, sir? " inquired the 
waiter. "I^Tumber one," answered the hungry man. 
Having a good appetite, he called for another piece 
of meat. Waiter brought it, saying, "Extra, sir; 
number, sir?" ''l^umher two! Extra, is it? Glad 
of it." Soon No. 2 was buried with its prede- 
cessor, and he called for more. "Extra," said the 
waiter. " Glad of it ; bring it on, then ; hurry up ! " 
said the excited man. Soon it came, with the 
usual question, "Number, sir?" ''l^um.hQY three!" 
growled the still busy eater. While admiring friends 
were on the watch, meat No. 3, morsel by morsel, 
sank to rise no more, and " Waiter! " rang out clear 
and authoritatively. He came. "More meat! I 
want one square meal before leaving this eternal 
city." "Extra, sir." "I know it, sir; so bring it 
on." "Number, sir?" "Number four! " thun- 
dered our hero, as the astonished waiter departed. 
Soon he returned, saying, "Last piece, sir." Amid 
his admirers sat our man of muscle, unperturbed, 
and with an inflexible determination "to have one 
square meal, extra or no extra." He had "seen 



FiiOM London to Edinburgh. 337 

every thing in Eome he wished, except meat — 
enough for once." While we all gloried in his zeal, 
he bravely attacked his last extra. One enthusiastic 
admirer of his maxillary power, shouted, "Bully 
for you ! " as he redeposited upon his plate a morsel 
that had already been in his mouth ; and, looking 
sadly at the last speaker, replied, " Altogether too 
much so." He was satisfied. " IN'ow let us leave 
Eome in peace," he said. For all this extra enter- 
tainment, our friend of the Buffalo Dairy paid, over 
and above his regular bill, in gold, $150, while our 
extraordinary enjoyment cost us many — a laugh at 
his expense. To this day there are some fifty living 
witnesses who would like to see the man who once 
had enough at Rome. 



Homeward bound — From London to Edinburgh — Interesting 
sights in the Scottish capital — Castle Eock — Burns's grave — 
Mary Queen of Scots — Dr. Chalmers — Bunyan. 

Steamship Victoria, August 30, 1873, 
Omitting, for the present, several places visited 
In London, I will sketch our route from that city to 
Edinburgh, Scotland. We left the Midland Grand 
Hotel early on Thursday morning. This depot, 
being the largest in the world, is connected with 
the hotel claiming the same relation. The span of 
the shed is 243 feet from wall to wall, length 700, 
height 100, length of roof 690 feet, with a span 
covering four platforms and eleven lines of rails, 
and occupying a site of nearly ten acres. Highgate 
stands 450 feet higher than St. Paul's Cathedral. 
We pass a picturesque village, in which Lord 
Bacon lived in 1226. The Bishops of London re- 
sided there in succession. Hendon is the highest 
point within ten miles of London. Lord Byron 
and the late Robert Peel were scholars here. N"ear 
this is St. Alban's, at the foot of which flows the 
15 



338 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

river Bev. It was remarkable as the scene of bat- 
tles in the time of Julius Cesar, and subsequent 
periods of history. Also, the place of the first re- 
corded English martyrdom, in the third century, 
when St. Abenus was beheaded by pagans. Por- 
tions of the old Roman walls of St. Alban's still 
exist. Tutan and Bourne are near each other. At 
the former Bunyan preached ; at the latter Dr. Wm. 
Dodd was born in 1729. Bedford is the place where 
Bunyan preached for seventeen years, when he was 
imprisoned, and where he wrote the "Pilgrim's 
Progress." 

"We now enter the manufacturing district. At 
Derby the first silk-mill was erected in 1718. 

Sheffield is the place famous for cutlery, and the 
manufacturing of all kinds of iron and steel goods, 
plated ware, and metallic instruments. It was here 
cast steel was first wrought. It was, indeed, " grand, 
gloomy, and peculiar," to see the hundreds of chim- 
neys of immense height, belching forth flames and 
smoke, darkening the whole country round, and the 
roar of the engines driving the machinery and 
forges of these establishments. 

From these we pass on to the linen manufactures. 
Their "bleaching fields" resembled snow-covered 
grounds. Here also, are wire and needle manufac- 
tories. One can have but little idea of the extent 
of these manufactories without seeing them. Just 
think that there are three hundred and fifty trains 
of passengers, goods, and minerals arrive and depart 
in twenty-four hours. This will give a better idea 
of the extent of the business done in this vicinity. 
It was in this vicinity — Huntingdon — that Oliver 
Cromwell was born, April 25, 1699, and was baptized 
four days afterward, as appears from the parish reg- 
ister. The house is now called the Cromwell 
House. 

Miss Nightingale. — Lea Hurst, the home of Miss 



On the Road. 839 

I^igtitingale, is in this vicinity. This was her father's 
residence and estate. She was born in Florence in 
1820 ; hence her name, Florence I^ightingale. She 
went to the Crimea with a stafl* of voluntary nurses 
at the time of the war. In honor of her noble con- 
duct, a testimonial fund was raised of $250,000 by 
the people of England, and, at her request, the 
money was donated to a hospital for training nurses. 

Here at Crawford was the first cotton-mill, built 
in 1771, by Richard Arkwright, the inventor of the 
"spinning-jenny." The old frame is still preserved 
in the present mill as a curiosity. The invention 
was followed by various improvements for which an 
enlarged patent was obtained in 1775. 

This was one of the most important inventions 
ever made. Only one hundred years ! What won- 
ders have been effected by it ! Cotton, though not 
a crowned monarch, governs a large portion of the 
civilized world. Much of England's greatness has 
been produced by its extensive manufacture. Most 
of the material prosperity of our own sunny South 
land has been from its production, and here its man- 
ufacture first commenced. ITo wonder we looked 
at this place with much interest. 

The country from London, for near two hundred 
miles, is rich, and in a high state of cultivation. It 
then becomes more undulating, and more sparsely 
settled. We see some fine old castles, on which are 
windmills, performing a different kind of a service 
than was originally designed by their founders. 
Though we travel four hundred miles, we see no 
soldiers — nothing warlike — only a few cannon at one 
of the foundries. The railway officials are the only 
uniformed gentry we find here. Our train runs 
from fifty to sixty miles an hour. Two large saloon- 
carriages are assigned to our party — only fourteen 
now — on which Mr. Thos. Cook has a fine lunch 
served to us. In the evening we reach the High- 



340 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

lands of Scotland, around wliich cluster so much 
historic interest, with which your readers are 
familiar. 

We arrive at Edinburgh on time, and we soon 
domicile at a good hotel, kept by a genuine old 
Scotchman. Early in the morning we start out to 
see this venerable old city. I notice every house of 
every kind is built of stone. The door and window- 
frames are stone. The city consists mainly of 
heights, hollows, acclivities, and ravines, in much 
diversity of character. It is a gem of a landscape, 
exquisitely beautiful. Castle Eock surveys one of 
the most gorgeous panoramic views in the world. 
It is a rugged mass of green stone, about seven hun- 
dred yards in circumference, and breaks down on 
three sides of the castle's ramparts — north, west, 
and south — in faces of bare rock, all precipitous. It 
is the most interesting natural object in the city. 
A garrison of soldiers keep the castle. An old 
State prison surmounts the archway, which has kept 
many illustrious captives. The armory is capable of 
storing 30,000 stands of arms. The old Parliament 
Hall (80 by 33 feet) occupies the south side of the 
palace yard. This was long the residence of the 
kings and queens of Scotland. From this castle 
you have a most magnificent view of the city and 
its surroundings. In front of it stands Scott's mon- 
ument, erected in 1840-44. It is 200 feet high, and 
contains a marble statue of Sir Walter Scott, which 
cost $10,000, and was inaugurated in 1846. Here 
is where the great reformer, John Knox, lived and 
labored, and where his remains rest. His house is 
resorted to as one of the most interesting objects of 
antiquity, of which there are many. This is the 
great center of Scotch Presbyterianism. From 
all I can learn, they are doing more than any other 
Protestant Church in the missions. We took the 
street-car, and went to see their docks and shipping. 



Edinburqh~Dr. Chalmers, etc. 341 

These were more extensive than I had supposed. 
We then took another car through the principal 
streets and around the city. 

Edinburgh. — It is, perhaps, the most substantially 
built of any city we have visited. Its population, in- 
cluding the suburbs, is about 200,000. JN'early all 
the people you see here have a similar Scotch appear- 
ance. I have never seen any place where there was 
such a marked family likeness. Their Scotch 
brogue seems to be universal. They are pictures of 
fine health, with vim and activity in their move- 
ments. They are the most universally educated 
people (Germany, perhaps, excepted) that we have 
seen on our tour. There are many things of interest 
in this city. ]N"elson's monument, on Calton Hill, 
andBurns's monument, Regent Road, commemorate 
two men who moved in very different spheres, both 
honored by this people. Here, too, the immortal 
Rev. Dr. Chalmers labored, and here his mortal re- 
mains sleep, while his noble moral heroism lives in 
the hearts of his countrymen. Here Mary Queen of 
Scots figured during her eventful life, yet her body 
sleeps beside her sister. Queen Elizabeth, whose 
jealousy caused her to be beheaded in the Tower of 
London. When our guide showed us the two sis* 
ters, sleeping side by side in Westminster Abbey, I 
remarked to him that they were more friendly in 
death than they had been in their lives. Such is the 
fate of womankind, as well as mankind, in high 
places. But I will not moralize. 

The steward moves ns all from the table to pre- 
pare for dinner. So I will close this disconnected 
scrawl, written while the ship is being tossed by the 
rolling waves, and most of the passengers are suf- 
fering from sea-sickness. 



842 A Mempiiian's Trip to Europe. 

The rolling deep — Leaving Glasgow, the prosperous city on the 
Clyde — The pleasures and misfortunes of a life of ten days 
on the ocean wave. 

Steamship Victoria, September 1, 1873. 

I closed ray last letter rather abruptly. I was 
writing relative to Edinburgh. While it is a fine 
old city, abounding in historic interest, it looks to 
me as though it has attained its growth. There 
seemed to be but little business being done, only in 
a small portion of it. I observed several streets, 
with magnificent buildings, with but few persons to 
be seen on them. Glasgow, I suppose, has taken a 
large portion of the business formerly done here. 
The country between those two cities is very fine, 
and made to yield all that it can by the high cul- 
tivation it receives. 

Glasgow is the second city of the United King- 
dom. Its population, in the city proper, is only 
about four hundred thousand; but, with what prop- 
erly belongs to it — with streets extending as one 
continuous city — it has nearly a million. The 
Scotch characteristics are not seen here, as in other 
parts of this country, and especially in the city we 
had just left. It looks more like New York than 
any place we have seen. It owes its rapid increase 
to its ship-building. It was here that the first steam- 
vessel was built on this side of the Atlantic. It is 
now the most important place for building steam- 
ships in the world. It is said that there are more 
steam-ships built here than in all the world besides. 
"We saw a vast number of them in process of build- 
ing, on the stocks. The River Clyde is a very small 
afl^air; but they have deepened its channel until 
vessels of the largest class can come up to its docks. 
Here may be seen representatives from almost every 
nation among trade's rough sons. 

Glasgow has its great thoroughfiire more dis- 
tinctly marked, perhaps, than any city we have seen. 



Leaving Glasgow. 343 

Along that not only run its 'buses, but a number of 
street-railways, running out to every part of the city, 
concentrate here. Here we see, as in Broadway, 
^ew York (only more so), the dense crowds of hu- 
manity passing ea.ch other in every direction. The 
streets intersect this great thoroughfare at right an- 
gles, so that a stranger is soon able to understand 
them, which is a very uncommon thing in European 
cities. This is more like an American city in sev- 
eral respects than any other we have visited. We 
went out at night to see the vast crowds that pass 
along this, their Broadway. A large amount of 
business is done after night in their stores and shops. 
Returning to our hotel, we happened to pass their 
iish-market. There we met with a larger number 
of the lower class of humanity than we have ever 
seen together at one time. It extended Between a 
quarter and half a mile. The street was filled with 
women, a large portion of whom were bare-footed, 
coarsely clad, and seemed to be of the very lowest 
order of womankind. 

Saturday morning the scattered fragments of our 
party met at the steamer. At noon our noble ship 
is loosed, and slowly moves down the Clyde, passing 
the docks, where many vessels were delivering and 
receiving their cargoes. On both sides, for miles, 
we see ships in various stages of progress tov/ard 
completion. The hills rise in picturesque beauty 
on both sides. We keep on deck to see the last of 
Scotland as it fades in the distant horizon from our 
view. 

Sunday morning finds us at Moville, on the coast of 
Ireland. Here we met the last of our party, who had 
come through from London to see Ireland. Here, 
also, we add about one hundred and fifty to the list 
of steerage passengers. 1 was very much interested, 
here and at Glasgow, in the parting of these people 
from their friends, from whom they were separating, 



844 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

perhaps, forever. It was, indeed, very affecting to 
see and hear how they gave vent to their feelings — - 
many waving their handkerchiefs and expressing in 
various ways their interest in their friends, while 
others, unable to restrain their grief, poured forth 
lamentations that brought tears from those who 
were observing the affecting scene. 

We are now fairly out from terra Jirma^ with our 
bow toward the setting sun. The beautiful hills of 
the Emerald Isle loom up for miles as we pass along 
the Irish coast. We gaze with intense interest upon 
this land, which has furnished so many noble hearts 
and strong arms to develop the vast resources of 
our native America. 

We also take on board two Irish ministers, going 
over to attend the meeting of the Evangelical Al- 
liance, which meets in E"ew York the 2d proximo. 
Dr. Thompson, of Kew York, preached in the fore- 
noon, and Dr. Gregory in the evening. We have 
prayers every night in the dining-saloon, and grace, 
or rather a short prayer, at each meal. The petition 
offered for "appetites to enjoy the food before us," 
no doubt, met with a hearty response from most of 
the passengers who were able to fill their seats at 
the table. 

We have had near a week of bad weather, just 
the reverse of what we had when we went over in 
June. The sea has been rough most of the time — 
no very high waves, but enough to stir the stomachs 
of most of the passengers. Some of them were not 
out of their rooms for nearly a week, while some of 
those who were promptly at their meals had to cast 
them into the ocean soon after. 

Many years since I was very anxious to be sea- 
sick, believing it would be conducive to my health. 
I have several times seen most of the persons on 
board sick, while I had not the least symptom of it. 
I think, now, that the virtue of sea-sickness is more 



The Homeward VoYAaE. 345 

ill the fasting than any salutary influence it has upon 
the system. My curiosity and anxiety on this sub- 
ject have been fully satisfied. 

While this is one of the finest and swiftest ships 
of the Anchor Line, or any other line, they have 
studied the most rigid economy in their rooms. At 
least, we have found it so in the one that has been 
assigned to four ministers. The Revs. Mr. Baker, 
Mr. Eichardson, and Mr. Witherspoon, of Virginia, 
and one from Boston, were given a room less than 
eight feet square. As I am in the berth which was 
to have been occupied by my old friend, Wither- 
spoon, I can speak more of that than any other. To 
get into it you must stretch yourself out on the rail- 
ing, and roll in. On arriving at your destination, 
you find a tolerably close fit all around, your head 
reaching very near the bottom of the apartment or 
bin just above you, which is just the same size. 
There is, however, one advantage in these close 
quarters. When the ship rolls we have but little 
room for this unpleasant exercise. These Presby- 
terian brethren think it rather strange that a "Scot- 
tish line," from the land of Presbyterianism, should 
put them in such a room, especially as they have 
first-class tickets, and their passage had been en- 
gaged for nearly three months. At their request I 
mention these facts. Our Irish Presbyterian breth- 
ren have the room next us, w^hich, I presume, is of 
the same dimensions. The room we had on the 
Canada, coming over, w^as one-third larger, with a 
number of conveniences which we have not here. 
Two more nights will terminate our occupancy of 
quarters, and when we cross the ocean again we 
will know more of the place we are to occupy be- 
fore leaving port. 

We see several vessels to-day. One came near 
crossing our track. She had been out from England 
thirty-six days. We see some whales, and many 
15* 



346 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

porpoises tossing themselves about. Our sick pas- 
sengers are nearl}^ all well, and are making up for 
lost time at tlie table. 

Our ministers preached in the morning and even- 
ing yesterday. We have a missionary from Turkey, 
who has spent several years there. He has given us 
two very interesting talks about that country. This 
ship is steered by steam, so that the labor of the 
pilot is very trifling. They raise the sail^, as well as 
load and unload the ship, by steam. 

The most interesting thing is a little machine 
fastened to a long rope, and thrown out into the 
ocean. As the ship moves, the machine turns over, 
so that it tells correctly the distance the ship has 
sailed every day. This is a very ingenious and im- 
portant invention; for a ship's navigation is now 
done with as much precision as if you saw just the 
place to which you were going. Science has enabled 
the seaman to strike out from one port to the other 
in a direct line. After the ship is out at sea, they 
go direct to their destination. We are making good 
time, and will be the first of the eight ships that 
sailed on the day we did to reach Kew York. We 
learn the Olympic, which left three days before this 
ship, is only about twenty hours in advance of us. 
We have a gentlemanly and careful captain and offi- 
cers, and as clever a set of cabin passengers as could 
be desired. 



September 2, 1873. 
A pilot-boat is seen in the distance, and as no sig- 
nal is given that we have one engaged, it steers for 
our ship. We had several hundred passengers on 
board who had never seen a native American at 
home. These crowded around to see him come on 
board. He has some ^ew York papers, which are 
eagerly devoured by those who had known nothing 
of the outer world for ten days. 



Home Once More. 347 

In the evening we see along in the dim, distant 
horizon some hills on Long Island. Snch rejoicing 
I have never or rarely seen among so many persons. 
After prayer and thanksgiving for our safe and 
speedy passage, there was a very interesting speak- 
ing meeting held in the dining-saloon. The ti'ish 
ministers, being called on, gave some very interest- 
ing facts in regard to their country. The emigrants 
on board were mostly Scotch-Irish, and many of 
them were members of the Presbyterian Church. 

The condition of Ireland has been greatly im- 
proved within a few years. In 1841 the population 
was over eight millions. IlTow it is less than six mil- 
lions. So said the preacher in his speech. I thought 
to myself that all the countries of Europe might be 
greatly improved if a large portion of their people 
would seek homes on this American soil. 

One of our party said he had heard it said several 
times that America needed whipping worse than 
any people in the world. He heard the same thing 
said the other day in Paris, where there were several 
nationalities represented. One said that, as the 
world could not whip the Americans, they had con- 
cluded to whip each other, and had thus demon- 
strated the fact, now acknowledged by other nations, 
that we cannot be whipped by the world. 

The silvery queen of night gives a most lovely 
view to the rippling waves of the dashing blue sea. 
We are all out on deck, watching with deepest in- 
terest as we pass around Sandy Hook. Away in the 
distant west are seen the lights from Long Branch. 
The noble ship, without erring from a direct line, 
has run its three thousand live hundred miles in less 
than ten days ; and we are safely moored at quaran- 
tine, some eight miles from the city, at 11 p.m., to 
wait for the health-officer to pass us into port, while 
we retire for the last time to our narrow quarters 
below. 



34:8 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

In the morning, after the health-officer permits, 
we steam up to Gotham. The examination of bag- 
gage by the United States officers is much more strict 
than any we had in Europe. I believe, however, 
they passed free of duty nearly all our party except 
tho»e who had silk. The friends of the tourists met 
them gladly, thanking us for the attention given to 
their lady friends on the tour. 

I cannot close these sketches without bearing my 
testimony to the complete fulfillment of the agree- 
ment by Messrs. Cook, Son & Jenkins. Those of 
us who went on the Canada were met at Liverpool 
by their agent, Mr. Anderson, who took charge of 
us and our baggage, and gave us every attention re- 
quired on our way to London. Mr. Plagge, our con- 
ductor of the Italian section, discharged his duty 
faithfully, and relieved us of many annoyances 
necessarily attending those who take such tours 
without having some one who understands the lan- 
guages of the different countries. Every thing was 
first-class — railroads, steam-boats, hotels — all ready 
at the right time to accommodate us in the best 
style of the country. I voluntarily and most cheer- 
fully recommend all who visit Europe to go under 
the direction of Messrs. Cook, Son & Jenkins, 261 
Broadway, New York. 

I take pleasure in copying and indorsing the fol- 
lowing, from the Rev. C. W. Cushing: 

" The entire expense of this trip w^as five hundred 
dollars in gold. This included first-class traveling 
by railway and steam-boat throughout the entire 
journey ; omnibuses, where necessary, from stations 
to hotels ; porterage and transportation of baggage; 
gondolas and guide in Venice ; carriages, and other 
expenses, such as admission-fees, etc., while under 
the direction of Mr. "Wood in Rome. In Great 
Britain, hotel provision included room, lights, and 



A Retrospective View. 349 

service, meat-breakfast, dinner at table d'hote^ and 
plain tea. On the Continent it was the same, except 
that the breakfast was a plain breakfast of tea, coffee, 
or chocolate, and bread-and-butter, with the addi- 
tion of honey in Switzerland, dinner at table d'hote, 
and additional coupons to the amount of one franc 
and a half per day, which could be used for a plain 
tea, or for a meat-breakfast. 

" The hotels selected were intended to be first- 
class, and were good, though not always the most 
stylish and expensive in the place. This was par- 
ticularly true in Paris, while in London the whole 
party was kept at the best hotel in Europe. 

"Our conductor, who was a well-educated Ger- 
man, and who met us in New York, and returned 
there with us, as a rule took the entire charge of 
our tickets, luggage, etc. Our hotels were engaged 
days in advance, so that our rooms were assigned us 
before we reached the hotel, or immediately after, 
thus savino; all annovance from that source. Car- 
riages were always awaiting when we reached a 
station, so that there was no delay. Then our con- 
ductor was familiar with every place we visited, and 
knew what was of most interest to see, so that no 
time was wasted in experimenting. So far as was 
practicable, the Messrs. Cook had anticipated all 
our wants, and provided for them. Our money was 
deposited with them, and we were allowed to diraw 
upon our conductor as we wanted it for purchases 
or other purposes, always receiving it in the cur- 
rency of the country in which we happened to be. 

"Many of the party made more purchases than 
they had anticipated. Mr. Cook had told us, before 
wh left London, that it w^ould probably be so, and 
that we might draw on him for whatever we might 
want, and remit it when we returned home. This 
was done by many of the party, in some instances 
to the amount of several hundred dollars. 



350 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

''And now, looking back upon this most delight- 
ful and profitable trip, the memory of which is 
worth many times its cost, it is my impression that, 
for a party of six or more who want to make the 
most of their time and money, such an arrangement 
is a saving of considerable expense, an indefinite 
amount of annoyance, and at least about one-third 
of the time. If one has plenty of money and plenty 
of time — which only very few have — he may possi- 
bly suit himself better, though this maybe doubted. 
The name of Mr. Thomas Cook is like a household 
word all through Europe, and will often secure for a 
man what he would be unable to get without it. He 
is a noble old Christian gentleman, and worthy of 
the respect and confidence he has; and his sons are 
in a fair way to make his place good. There are not 
enough of these Cooks yet to spoil the broth." 




Our Tour. 351 



OUR TOUR. 



BY A MEMBER OF THE EDUCATIONAL PARTY OF 1873. 



The last farewells are sadly said, each lingering clasp of hand 
Is loosed, and we have turned our backs upon our native land. 
Afloat upon the watery waste, her fluttering canvas spread, 
Y/ith tossing, white-capp'd waves beneath, and blue sky overhead, 
Our noble ship moves proudly on; we tread her decks in glee, 
And revel in the joyous thought that we are out at sea. 
To watch the dolphins at their play, or scan the passing sail. 
Or rush with one accord when some one shouts, "A v/halel" 
To walk and talk, to read or write, to hear the sailors sing, 
Or mark the airy, graceful flight of sea-birds on the wing; 
To look for phosphorus at night; the ever-changing play 
Of ocean in his many moods, is new from day to day. 
But now, these days, so long, so short, so full of charm, are o'er, 
And in the soft gray light of morn we see a foreign shore. 
"We test fair Erin's generous heart, upon her emerald stra-nd, 
The first, with hearty greeting, to welcome us to land. 
We've looked on Scotland's misty hills, and castles old and gray, 
And lakes, of fame in many lands, Lochs Katrine and Achray; 
Through Trosachs' wild, romantic glens of heather and of fern; 
From Stirling's battlements look out on Teith and Bannockburn. 
"Eair Melrose," and its ruined walls, with ivy overgrown, 
Y/here names and dates of long ago survive upon its stone, 
"While they who builded sleep below, with all their hopes and fears; 
Their sculptured work has braved the storms of twice three hun- 
dred years. 
With loving hearts we seek the spot where trod the noble bard, 
Whose genius lives and breathes and moves in lovely Abbotsford. 
Prom Gal ton Hill and Holyrood we wander up and down 
Among the old historic scenes of "Edinboro' town." 
And England's summer sun has beamed with welcome as we stood 
Mid gardens rare, and fountains grand, and gently-rolling wood, 
Where Alton's generous Lord shall win a more enduring name 
Than they who tread the battle-field for empire or for fame. 
We stand within her crowded mart; we traverse street by street; 
Amid the things of olden times we go with busy feet — 
The Tower, St. Paul's, and Westminster, where lie, enthroned in 

state, 
The monarchs of the world of mind beside the earthly great. 



352 A Memphian's Trip to Europe. 

"We view them all with sated eyes; and when we next advance, 
It is among the sunny slopes and vine-clad hills of France. 
Among her ruined palaces, her splendid works of art, 
Where kings and emperors, by turns, have borne their fitful part. 
"We leave her glittering scenes to tread the henceforth hallowed 

ground 
Where England and America with white -winged peace were 

crowned; 
While far, yet near, an emblem meet, robed in eternal white — 
Mont Blanc, in hoary majesty — looked down upon the sight. 
Our eyes beheld the glory of the Brunig and the Thun, 
Where hazy, cloud-girt, snow-capp'd peaks seem stretching to the 

sun. 
We slowly climb the mountain-road, then thunder down its side; 
We sail upon the dark-green lake, with softly-rippling tide; 
We look from lofty Alpine heights on beauteous valleys green, 
Where Swiss chalets^ and harvest fields, and gentle- winding stream, 
Have landscapes made so fair to see, that years of change and care 
May not efiace from memory's page the pictures painted there. 
We've gazed on Jungfrau's lovely head, where shadows come and go, 
As sunlight breaks or fades upon her crown of purest snow. 
A peep at Lauterbrunnen's Fall we have from wayside ridge, 
Because our guide, with wearied brain,* slept at the turning bridge. 
But mountain glacier tempts us on, mid summits grim and bald, 
Where lies, upon the lofty plain, long-looked-for Grindelwald. 
Fair Griesbach, in her highland nest, has welcomed one and all 
To pure, sweet air, and native woods, and gorgeous waterfall. 
Again, upon the placid lake, our eyes we fondly turn 
To where the sunset bathes in gold the beautiful Lucerne. 
On Rigi's bold and rugged top with reverend feet we've trod, 
And felt that in His glorious works we nearer drew to God. 
We watched the sunset's fading glow, and in the early morn 
Our slumbering ears are sweetly waked by winding Alpine horn. 
O glorious Alps and lovely lakes! ye pain our happy band; 
For sadly we shall bid farewell to thee, fair Switzerland. 
And though we have before us still Vienna and the Ehine, 
Their tempting shapes and loveliest hues shall not outrival thine. 
But when we leave these foreign scenes to seek each distant home. 
We'll give three cheers, with hearty will, for Thomas Cook & SonI 
Lucerne, July 22, 1873. 

=''-The design was to have gone direct to Grindelwald, omitting Lauterbrnn- 
nen ; but the"eonductor was taking " forty winks " at the junction of the roads, 
and the driver had the party near to Lauterbrunnen before the mistake was 
discovered. 



THE END. 



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